But what's the use of writing "bush"?
The crows at sunrise flopping round
The swagman tramping o'er the plain -
The joy and hope the swagman feels
But what's the use of writing bush,
Though editors demand it? -
For city folk and farming folk,
Can never understand it.
They're blind to what the bushman sees
The best with eyes shut tightest,
Out where the sun is hottest and
the stars are at their brightest.
Where some poor life has run down;
The pair of emus trotting from
The lonely tank at sundown,
Their snaky heads well up, and eyes
Alert to man's manouvres,
And feathers bobbing round behind
Like fringes round "improvers".
Good Lord, there's nothing sadder,
Except the dog that lopes behind
His master like a shadder!
The turkey-tail to scare the flies,
The water-bag and billy;
The nose-bag getting cruel light,
The traveller getting silly.
Returning, after shearing,
Or when, from six months tramp
Out Back,
He strikes the final clearing.
His weary spirit brethes again,
His aching legs seem limber
When to the East across the plain
He spots the Darling Timber!
They do not understand it.
For city folk, and cockatoos,
Though editors demand it? -
They're blind to what the bushman sees
The best with eyes shut tightest,
Out where the sun is hottest and
the stars are at their brightest.
I've done with joys an' misery,
I has my smoke, he has his rest,
An' why should I repine?
There's no one knows the past but me
An' that ol' dog o' mine.
We camp an' walk, an' camp an' walk,
An' find it fairly good;
He can do anything but talk -
An' wouldn't if he could.
When sunset's gettin' dim;
An' if I do get drunk at times,
It's all the same to him.
So long's he's got my swag to mind,
He thinks that time's is good;
He can do anything but talk -
An' wouldn't if he could.
I may tap out more verses at some stage but don't count on it ... :)
* * *
Classic Reader has some of his stuff
Here's a Google search - I have clicked on a few of these so far ...