Francis Duggan Poems

One hundred K's or maybe more to the next country town
But we will reach Gilgandra before the sun goes down
And we will book a room tonight in the Gilgandra hotel
'Twas tweny bucks six months ago my memory serves me well.
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The night is calm and frosty I hear the lapwing cry
Above the darkened paddock beneath the starry sky
Just five sleeps till September and the calendar Spring
The time of year upon us when wild birds nest and sing.
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Hear the kookaburra calling at the dawning of the day
Laughing loudly on the gum trees in October morning gray
Little song birds screaming loudly kookaburra they all say
We don't want you on our gum trees from our valley clear away.
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Woken by a heavy knock on his door
Late in the evening around half past four
Tired Fred shouted loudly please just go away
I need to rest up on my rostered off day.
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A legend beyond his lifetime and his fame known far and wide
He led his men in battle and in battle he died
All contemporary war kings, prime ministers and presidents a
lesson here for you
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Our heroes and heroines we may love to recall
But do they believe in a fair go for all
If they are xenophobic or racist even in a small way
Any respect to them I for one never will pay.
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They've never harmed anybody so why are they under attack
Born in the wrong Land at the wrong time the poor children of Iraq
For the crimes of other people why must they be made to pay
They are the innocent victims and why do it have to be this way?
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She is not young and pretty and flushed by conceit
The wonderful lady the pride of our street
To help others out she goes out of her way
And ill words of anyone you never hear her say
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Some humans are such selfish creatures and none more selfish than I
The World revolves around me and praise of self I do enjoy
Some call it self survival or call it what you may
And meanwhile people dying of hunger every day.
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Down through bare fields and by many a hedgerow the streams from the high country flow
Down to join and swell the big river that into a huge water-way grow
On it's long journey to the ocean it babbles along night and day
From it's birth-place in the high valley saltwater seems quite a long way,
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