55 And 56 Poem by don johnson

Stay alive in 55 and 56 said the roadside sign
As the Ford Mercury whizzed by on local Brisbane time
A flat head 8 jumped into a muffled roar
And Bronco Don gave it its head full bloody bore

Bill Brummell was a waiting aunty Nell was coming by
And of course she’d bring the Johnsons little grubs like Mark and I
So we lurched and wobbled cross country to the coast
And Aunty Grace was awaiting for sure she’d cooked a roast

So I followed cousin Wally about the Cleveland farm
And watched him eat a melon from the inside without harm
Cut a hole put his head in, call him melon head?
Just like a giant white ant this I say god strike me dead?

Down in the valley my love is so low
Sang old Slim Whitman on the valve radio
old Don bought an inter truck a droving we would go
to the Moonie floods back more than 50 years or so

then Zip some call him Walter, he got a grand idea
went to shoot some wild duck with a three oh and some beer
so he lined up a wood duck but a crow got in the way
so he reefed and pulled the trigger, just tough duck is all he’d say

yes these ducks had big black feathers when talking they said ark
Wally plucked and filled the stew pot says its duck or just a lark
Drunken ring barkers were hungry scoffed the lot in one quick feed
And they were farting feathers till the crowing parts were freed…

Don Johnson