Francis Duggan Poems

I see them often though not every day
The whistling blackbird sized birds of brown and gray
From wooded places never far away
Near where trees and bushes are they like to stay
...

Her beauty is all around us every day
A beauty for to view we do not have for to pay
From a tiny seed she grows a mighty tree
And she feeds every life form including humanity
...

I love the countryside bordering the rural town
And the warbling of the magpies just after sundown
And the cawings of the dark little ravens on the tall headland trees
Their sharp calling carrying in the freshening breeze
...

He's not been known to expend energy
Spends most of his life on high branch of gum tree
Scratching his ears and sitting on his bum
And feasting on the leaves of manna gum.
...

They march uptown for to reclaim the night
Carrying lighted candles and small battery hand lights
Their peaceful protest for basic human right
And in solidarity you will find much might.
...

I went in search of rednecks I heard that they were rare
But I found them to be plentiful I saw them everywhere
I saw them digging dykes and drains in mud up to their knees
And I saw them in the Parliament People of high degrees.
...

Some talk of their mates and what Mateship's about
But the greatness of Mateship is open to doubt
What is one person's truth is another person's lie
And so few for their mates would be prepared to die.
...

In my memory she still looks lovely and in my memory she's still nineteen
And I visualize her this moment picking bluebells from the ditch of the bohreen
So lovely and young and so happy her brown hair blowing in the Spring breeze
The hawthorns laden with white blossoms and birds sing on bushes and trees
...

At least spare a thought for the children the children of Poverty Street
They are homeless as young teenagers and against the odds they must compete
Their parents serving time for robbery and narcotic offences and most of their role models in jail
Their circumstance of birth is a huge mark against them the poor young people destined to fail.
...

Suppose bullies will always be bullies they were bullies as schoolgirl or schoolboy
The idea of having power over others is something they seem to enjoy
Few school bullies grow into nice people since that is not their natural way
Few of them becoming loving and caring old habits die hard as some say
...