Francis Duggan Poems

The butcherbird sings on an old gray gum tree
Where the Merri waters flow on towards the sea
Through an old Land that has inspired story and rhyme
That was even old in the ancient Dreamtime.
...

With scarce little money or assets to his name
An ordinary bloke he does not lust for fame
And you never hear him talk about the hard life
And he does not beat his children or he does not beat his wife.
...

They have brought Saddam to justice and handed freedom back
Or at least that is what you tell me to the people of Iraq
But i always thought that freedom included freedom to live free of fear
Whilst every day from Iraq of more deaths through violence we do hear.
...

When they grow their wings and leave their pupa stage
Their time span seems brief and so quickly they age
Just a few days or less in the parkland to fly
And enjoy the freedom of the open sky,
...

In the old graveyard in Millstreet Town Paddy McSweeney's remains lay
He truly was a gentleman in every sort of way
An old citizen of Church Street and a very well liked man
As human life it does go his was a lengthy span.
...

I know that climate change is for real not an environmentalist lie
One of Western Victoria's largest lakes Lake Bolac is almost dry
Perhaps down to twenty per cent of capacity and dwindling by the day
The remaining water in it from the original lake shore now does seem far away.
...

Every day for eight hours or maybe more
He walks up and down through the car park by the big food store
On the lookout for unreturned shopping trolleys for each one he returns a dollar is his pay
The most he might earn would be thirty dollars a day.
...

In Cafe Saltwater overlooking the sea
You will see her there every day around three
Enjoying her cappucino she sits on her own
As one of great beauty she used to be known.
...

We hear of and read of earthquakes, huge winds and huge floodings in the newspapers and on the radio each day
And climate change is for real and happening despite what the sceptics do say
The more money you have in such a case the more that you do stand for to lose
To none the Nature Goddess is subservient her own ways she always does choose
...

Since they cannot look into the depths of your soul
What others think of you is beyond your control
You have not been found guilty of any crime
And it is up to you what you do with your time.
...