Dipton

On the bus from mountain lakeside
my friend and I travelled down
from hills over plains to
Invercargill on the coast.

Crossing farmland with prolific
crops and sheep through little
farming villages we picked
up people going to town.

At the little village, Dipton,
inpatient at the wait, we
eavesdropped the driver’s
conversation at the roadside.

A farmer refused to leave
his shearing to have his
false teeth mended in town.
The driver accepted these
teeth from the farmer’s wife
to pass to the dentist’s
receptionist at Invercargill’s
regional bus terminal.

We blithe healthy young
students giggled at these
teeth all the way to town.

Nearly fifty years later
I remember those teeth
with all the news of our PM,
most famous son of Dipton.


Previously posted October 2017.

Eviction

Over the brae, up the glen,
along the shore, out to sea,
highlanders eked out
a living from stony soil
rocky beach, sea churned
off shore islands in the
vast heaving ocean.

Sparse whelks, hard won fish,
meagre taties, milk, offal and
minced meat from scrawny
cattle and sheep were barely
enough to sustain them.

Little went to the landowner
in return for tenancies and toil.
His bailiffs came to expunge
holdings held over generations.
His life was in the far south
these people were nothing to him.

As everyone slept in the dead
of night bailiffs stormed the
tiny cottages, evicted all
occupants, drove them off the
estate, down the road, down
the coast from their homes.

At last they came to the mighty
port down the coast, crowded
into meagre rooms in
ramshackle tenements ……

…… this was their new home.



Previously posted October 2017.

A Scottish Soldier

“There was a soldier,
a Scottish soldier,
who wandered far away.
who soldiered far away ….” *

In a lonely stony highland glen
live a young Scot with his clan.
Each spring as the heather on
the hill began to bloom he and
his fellow clansmen left to
seek their fortune fighting for
the continent’s foreign armies.

After summer’s purple heather
blaze faded on the hills,
as gunfire ceased, cannon
stilled, the clansmen returned
to their families in their glen.

Until one summer’s end when no
welcoming embraces greeted them,
their stone cottages were empty
the hills and glen stood still.

At last their searching found
auld Jock hiding in his
bothy in the hills with
a horrible tale to tell.

The landlord’s bailiffs had
driven women and children
old and infirm far away to the
city port, shipped them all to
the distant Carribean isles.

They would only find their
families far across the ocean.


* Sung by Andy Stewart in 1961.



Previously posted October 2017.

Convict

The boy’s meagre earnings
fed himself, his mother, younger
brothers and sisters, all of
then thin, sickly, starving.

Seeing a shopkeeper busy
with customers he sneaked
out a pound of suet, whisked
it home to mother.

The hue and cry came after him,
brought him before the judge
who sentenced him for this theft
“transport to Botany Bay”.

Shipped to distant Australia
in punishment, he left his family
without his earnings, only
deep shame for his crime.

CH: “Singing too-ral-li oo-ra-li-addity
singing too-ral-li- oo-ra- li- ay.
Singing too-ral-li oo-ral-li-addity.
And we’re bound for botany Bay.” *


*Chorus of an 1880’s London music hall song
still sung in Australia today.


Previously posted October 2017.

‘uss ‘uss

Big sister as a toddler
adored elderly Ephraim
stroked his grey fur gently
all the way down to the tip
of his sleek elegant tail.
He purred deeply as she
cooed to him ” ‘uss ‘uss “
her first word learned
after “Mummy’ , “Daddy”.

Little brother toddles
around the house, claps
his hands gasps rapturously
when he finds the black and
white cat curled up in sunshine
on the couch by the window.
He pats and strokes the
thick fur carefully as it
vibrates under deep
rolling purring. Little
brother has learnt “Mummy”
“Daddy”, now he is
saying ” ‘uss ‘uss “.


Previously posted October 2017.

Saturday Afternoon

Saturday afternoon
two little girls in the sun
draw on the concrete
with lots of chalk
pattern pebbles on the
driveway’s soil strip
rush around on scooter
and little pink tricycle.

The black and white cat
and the tabby hunter
sit on the back steps
bask in mellow rays.
Gentle breezes ripple
their plush shiny fur.

Their eyes sometimes follow
the children’s activity
sometimes close in
happy restfulness as
they sit like small sphinxes
happy in this homeliness.


Previously posted October 2017.

A Nice Little Dog

In their compact newly built
home well suited to retirement
after their large family home
the quiet little elderly couple
slowed down, enjoying their
pleasant small garden cared
for by a fortnightly gardener.

With their house too quiet
after the passing of their
venerable dog family and
friends made enquiries.
A little Yorkshire terrier
would suit them now.

Outgoing outspoken Sally the
terrier told people at her gate
to move on, keep away.
Attaching herself to the quiet
little wife she towed her
briskly on daily walks.

Keen to explore far horizons
she rattled the gate till she
squeezed around it, running
along till a passer by blocked
her way. Indignantly she
complained but finally went
home with her elderly lady.

Will this little dog calm
down in old age ?


Previously posted October 2017.

Tranquility

Tranquil rain falls
softly flowing raindrops
from a monogrey sky
still grey soft grey
gently shushing
dripping dropping
on the peaceful
late morning
suburban street
plopping lightly on
leaves of trees
in gardens I pass
in bright glaring
yellowed light
illuminating the day
under its dark sky.


Previously posted October 2017.

Back Path

Past our flats’ back doors
runs a narrow path down
to carports at the back.

Unnoticed by other tenants
emerald green slime crept
glowed over that path
over hung by clotheslines
and back porch eaves.
Until Susie in flat three
slipped, nearly fell,
until I fell down flat.

” ______ !” those flourishing
streaks of emerald slime
covering that path so
sheltered from the sun !
but no one owned that
path or cleaned it.

We attached her partner’s
family’s bottle of slime
killer to my old garden hose.
She walked up the path
spraying slime killer as I
rolled out the hose behind her.

We killed the slime.

Several years later
it is back again.


Previously posted October 2017.