Serena Poem by Francis Duggan

They ask about Serena where is she now they say
She's not been seen in Victoria or Melbourne for many a day
She's living with her lover and doing quite okay
In Dunedin in New Zealand so many miles away.

Her lover's name is Derek ba ba for him her pet name
And I've heard that in an orchard their love first took to flame
She met him whilst fruit picking in Batlow I've been told
But that's another story and that one now seems old.

Good memories of Serena with us will long remain
And what's a loss to Melbourne must be Dunedin's gain
Her loud infectious laughter lives in my memory
That woman has charisma and personality.

One night whilst out to dinner oh I remember well
In Watt Street in Wonthaggi at the Bakery Hotel
Somebody at our table had cracked a smutty joke
And Serena burst out laughing her mirth she could not cloak.

And all others in the restaurant 'stopped eating' looked our way
And I could only picture what their eyes had to say
And I feared then that the manager might show us to the door
But Serena went on laughing for five minutes or more.

And the afternoon in Belgrave when my old Datsun conked out
Serena and Ba Ba pushed my car around the roundabout
And with half of Belgrave looking on I lost some of my pride
But Serena burst out laughing she saw the funny side.

A character Serena I hope she never change
To see her quite and serious might seem a little strange
And people ask about her where is she now they say?
She's living in New Zealand and doing quite okay.