Francis Duggan Poems

So little of Nature's ways i can claim to know
Yet my wonder of her only does seem to grow
And from her we do learn something new every day
We never stop learning as some like to say
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How marvelous life is on a day like today
In the sunny blue sky just a few clouds of gray
The magpie lark sings his familiar pee wee
A bird familiar to many and familiar to me
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On what is success ask one other than me
For on such you and i cannot agree
The wealthy and famous are those you admire
And of singing their praises you never do tire
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So many sad to say too many do know of the struggles of life
Of poverty, homelessness and depression and worries born of inner strife
The victims of war, droughts and famines and the victims of bad circumstance
The people cruelly referred to by the judgmental as life's losers of a fair go deprived of the chance.
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The countryside from Geelong to Warrnambool has never been looking so green
Miles and miles of fenced and big paddocks with few enough trees to be seen
It has been a mild and wet Winter and plenty of grass for hoofed mammals this Spring
Rain and sunshine are our gifts from Nature and Nature's workings is an amazing thing
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For all of us there is a last December and for all of us there is a final Spring
But life as usual will go on without us and at their nesting time the birds will chirp and sing
And grass will grow and flowers will bloom as usual and there will be pink blossoms on the fruit bearing trees
In early Spring with weather getting warmer and the chill of winter is not in the breeze
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The judgmental who only know of you may dismiss you as a never do well
But you are not less as important a person as they are and like them you have a life story to tell
You may not have climbed to the summit of Mt Everest or at the Olympics won coveted gold
But you too do have a life story though your life story may never be told
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Far south of Hibernia's wild windswept shore
And even further south of the Millstreet roadway to Rathmore
In the town park the black and white magpies of bills silver gray
Are singing in the bright and warm sunshine today
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For success in life most people with others compete
To be best in your neighborhood and best on your street
To work your way up to become the best in the town
On your hoped for journey to Worldwide renown
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From the foot of Mt Baw Baw by night and by day
Through Melbourne City the Yarra crawls on it's way
An old water-way even in the Dreamtime
The inspiration of song and story and rhyme
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