On Having Been Woken From Sleep By A Laughing Kookaburra Poem by Francis Duggan

In the darkness of the morning just before the dawn of day
The kookaburra calling in the wood across the way
In his loud and raucous laughter he proclaims his territory
'Do not venture near my border keep away from my gum tree'.

In the darkness of the morning before sun light up the sky
The kookaburra wake me with his territorial cry
At five o clock in the morning all the other birds in bed
Is the kookaburra crazy is he not right in the head?

5 a m saturday morning I could stay in bed till eight
But the kookaburra woke me and now I cannot sleep in late,
I've tried various forms of relaxation but I cannot get to sleep
And in trying to lull myself to slumber must have counted a thousand sheep.

If I were that kookaburra I would stay in bed till ten
And not be screaming in the darkness near the homes of sleeping men,
I'd not worry about borders and if others challenged me
I'd not take them on in Battle I'd fly off to other tree.