Brushtail Possums Poem by Francis Duggan

By day they sleep in the ceiling and at twilight as darkness cloak the skies
Upon the galvanize roof they make a lot of noise
As they walk across and on to the porch roof and climb over-hanging branch of gum tree
When it is waking time for brushtail possums it is supper time for me.

One often hear them hissing on the trees in the moonlight
And when you shine your torch up at them they suddenly go quiet
And in the spotlight they look drowsy bright light make them feel that way
The reason they hide and sleep in tree cavities and dark ceilings during the daylight hours of the day.


Male brushtail possums are aggressive for their territory they fight
And they snarl and claw and bite each other on trees all through the night
They have females for to fight for they have borders to defend
And the big male brushtail possum doesn't have or need a friend.

Adult brush tail possums are quite sturdy and few creatures them will attack
And when the baby outgrows the mother's pouch she carries it on her back
And all through the night the males claw and bite each other in a struggle for supremacy
And the biggest and the strongest possum lives in the best territory.