Francis Duggan Poems

They come in boats the boats seem over crowded the poor unwanted from Lands far away
Only to be taken to detention centres and told that in this Land you cannot stay
To come this far they've sold all of their worldly possessions and for rejection a huge price they pay
But still the refugee boats coming southwards and more and more arriving every day.
...

In low down branch of leafy alder tree
I hear them noise the redpoll family
And with gaping mouths they take their tasty fill
Of tiny seeds their parents bring in bill.
...

In the Cascade Gardens at Broadbeach a South Queensland coastal Town
The fruit bats in their thousands roost hanging upside down
There must be twenty thousand and that is just a guess
And if you pressed me further i'd say there's more than less.
...

'Twas old John Mginn that told me of the tragic story of Ann
Daughter of the bold Sinn Feiner Irish freedom fighter Dan
Who led the local I.R.A. in the days of Black and Tan
And was posted by the British as a dangerous hostile man.
...

In the Little Desert near Dimboola where the dark Wimmera flow
I could picture the black hunter in the distant long ago
As with spear he crept through high scriub as he stalked elusive roo
For enough meat for his family for a day or maybe two.
...

He's been down and bruised and battered
And life has dished him out some pain
But like the great and champion boxer
He rose up and fought again.
...

You don't mention of your troubles to Nell Morgan
Or moan to her about your no luck year
She'll tell you life is not a flowering garden
And of your troubles i don't wish to hear.
...

She gave birth to a daughter that her greatest sin
And for that she lost her head Queen Anne Boleyn
King Henry's only wish was for a boy
His reason to condemn his Queen to die.
...

We sat around the open fire the burning peat did glow
And he struck a match and lit his pipe a yarn about to grow
And he took us back way back in time before the Black and Tan
When he was coming to his prime a young and powerful man.
...

We read of paradise beyond the stars
Far beyond the Planets of Jupiter and Mars
But paradise for me is not that far
Just a short drive down to Birdsland in my car.
...