Frank Halliwell's Poetry
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I M M O R T A L
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The body is impermanent; its life but meagre years,
And life itself irresolute, and filled with strife and tears,
And few of us live long enough to capture worldly fame.
We spend our short allotted time and leave the world the same.
If you would be immortal, then, as most of us would be,
Then take a story of to-day and work to set it free.
Polish it with precise meter with perfection in each line,
And bejewel with depth of feeling 'til the story line's sublime.
Let it climb forever skyward on the thermals of its rhyme,
Let it soar and dive and dazzle with the cadence keeping time,
And the world will judge your story as it rises on its flight...
If you would be immortal then, take up thy quill and write!
Thoughts on Citizenship day.
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Can you hear the trumpet fanfare?
And the crowd shouting "hooray"?
'Cause they're making me a citizen
Down at the hall to-day!
Who will make the presentation?
Will it really be the ones..
Who have the greatest claim on it,
..Or those who had the guns...
..To wrest it from the peaceful blacks
That owned this ancient land
To make a place for criminals;
..The thief and the brigand?
But I'll front up for the paper,
And attend the little bash,
While the pollies in Canberra
Dip their fingers in the cash.
..And fly around the country
Visiting ficticious joints
While the australian taxpayer
Funds their "frequent flier" points.
"Matilda" always stirs my soul
..A song without compare!
But I have reservations on
"Advance Australia-Where?"
But I love this land of blue skies
And I have for decades past,
And when the dealer calls my hand
It's here I'll breathe my last!
Where sparkling diamonds fill the night,
And nothing dulls the gloss
Of paradise in southern seas
Beneath the southern cross.
THE MECHANIC
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Sam was a gynecologist,
But he'd done his last swab,
For after ten long years, he had
Grown weary of the job.
So he took down his diploma,
And the shingle off the door,
To seek a new horizon for
His talents to explore.
Now trees and shrubs were not his style
He'd shun those jobs botanic,
But wheels and gears might be the thing
..He'd be a car mechanic!
So off he went to take a course
To learn how someone solves
Why cylinders go up and down
While gears and wheels revolve.
He graduated at the top,
The hero of his class.
His marks were of the highest
Any student had amassed!
To-morrow was the "practical",
The very final test,
And each and every student
Would be straining for his best.
An automotive engine was
Spread out along the floor
And he had just a single hour
To make that engine roar!
Sam was the last to take the test,
The head judge waved okay..
A wrench was slapped into his hand..
The test was underway.
His fingers moved at blinding speed,
His moves precise and neat.
And long before the closing bell
The engine was complete.
He nodded it was ready and
A judge switched on the key.
The engine roared without a miss
..Sam was the top trainee!
He was awarded record points
The reasons obvious!
When asked about those record points
The coach explained it thus:
"I've never seen a job so slick,
Without one washer lost,
...Or seen an engine rebuilding
Performed through the exhaust..!"
T H E P R O G N O S I S
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
"I'm feeling poorly lately, for the world is full of strife,
Pray tell, beloved, what's a man to do?"
" I'll rush you to the doctor, said his ever loving wife
For a potion that will give you health anew."
The doctor poked and prodded the poor fellow everywhere,
And into every dark secret he pried,
His serious demeanor filled the patient with despair..
When as they left, he took the wife aside...
"His condition is the gravest", said the doctor, much concerned,
"I've seldom seen a patient so distressed!
He suffers fom anxiety, and feels he's being spurned..
Combined with an immense degree of stress!"
"And stress is deadly serious, and kills men every day,
To tell you otherwise would be to lie!
Somehow the stress must be removed, for that's the only way,
Unless it's stopped the man will surely die!"
"But never fear, there still is hope, and much that you can do
Serve him a lovely breakfast with a smile,
And lunch must be nutritious and served promptly, right on cue,
Like back then when he walked you down the aisle.
Be loving, kind and courteous, and try not to annoy
Him with problems that may make your temper fray.
Don't bother him with all those chores that he would not enjoy,
For he has likely had a trying day!
And most of all, when evening falls you must be nice to him,
Several times a week, or even more.
Be caring, aquiescent, cater to his every whim..
And in less than a year you should restore..
Your husband and companion to his former healthy state,
And he will thrive again for many years!"
...When later enroute home with her, he asked her to relate
What news she had to help allay his fears..
"What did the doctor say my sweet, what fate did he imply?"
Said she,"you must be brave my love, he said you're going to die".
THE HIKER
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
At last the weekend has arrived
And time has come to now enjoy
Some relaxation with good friends.
Sand and surf are beckoning.
A bow of scarlet ribbon holds
In place her long blonde ponytail.
"No hiking now!" Her mother said,
..Her concern was amusing!
The day passed in fun and laughter
Filled with fellowship and good times.
In the afternoon it ended
With the happiest of smiles.
But the night was fast approaching
And there's no bus for an hour!
"I'll just hitch my way this one time,
For it's only a few miles!"
It's said that all of life's a school
And that we learn from our mistakes.
Life would be more rewarding if
We learned from those of others.
I guess it's just a forlorn hope
Expecting things will ever change,
As long as kids are certain that
They're smarter than their mothers!
Off a bush track in the forest
Just a short mile from the highway,
In a lonely forest clearing
Circled round by silent trees,
Hangs a bit of soiled red ribbon
Caught among concealing branches,
And it flutters in the twilight
Shaken by the fitful breeze.
Ho, ho, ho!
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
I've never cared for Christmas cards
For numbers of good reasons,
But still I'd like to wish you bards
A great commercial season.
So burn the lights that use the power
That heats our atmosphere,
And when the seas begin to tower
We can all cringe in fear...
As mother nature's rampages
Repay us for our waste,
Of all of her resources,
On earth that we've debased!
And just a short way down the track
When muted voices sing,
It will give the "Merry Christmas" wish
A pretty hollow ring!
THE CUSTOMER
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
"Good morning! Thanks for calling us!
We're pleased to hear from you!
Your call's important to us
So we've placed you in a queue.
Please find your account number and
Be sure it is correct..
It's twenty digits long and if you
Mis-type, I'll reject.
I'll lead you through the whole routine
Please use your touch type phone.
Press eight and follow with the hash
After you hear the tone.
If you are a new client here..
Press two, ..if old, press three.
Press four in case we've done something
With which you disagree!
You have pressed four, please wait a moment
While I transfer you..
And please enjoy, while we play you
A symphony or two!
Our staff are all too busy now
To talk to such as you
Your call is so important that
We've placed you in a queue."
Time passes and the music lingers
On, and bye and bye..
My cheek and ear go fast asleep,
My wrist gets R.S.I.
But wait! It may be there is hope!
I hear a ringing sound,
At last a human voice is heard
After the runaround!
"Good morning, this is Ladies wear
And may we help somehow?
Complaints?.. Oh! Just hang on a tick
I'll transfer you right now!..."
***
"Good morning! Thanks for calling us!
We're pleased to hear from you!
Your call's important to us
So we've placed you in a queue.
Ambush
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
There's a lovely tropic island at the bottom of the map,
It's a paradise on earth except for one small handicap;
We have wallabies and kangaroos to only name a few,
And a gentler crowd is seldom found in any city's zoo.
But there's danger lurking everywhere throughout these tropic isles..
The forests here are full of snakes, the rivers; crocodiles!
There are miles of golden beaches where the crowds don't hesitate,
But just beyond the breakers, swift and hungry shadows wait!
In the land of Oz, downunder, lives a creature greatly feared
Both in quiet rural country and the city he's appeared.
His appearance is deceiving, and he sometimes looks quite strange..
And his colour varies widely right across his tropic range.
You may see him lurk half-hidden near a path or watercourse
Where he waits with endless patience and attacks without remorse!
He may strike your leg from ambush on some dark and moonless night.
And in terror you will recoil, and you may just die of fright!
So you'll rush off to the doctor, sure that it will do no good,
But he'll find no deadly venom, just a bit of splintered wood.
"I think that you'll survive", he says, "although the leg may ache,
For you have just been bitten by the dreaded Bentstick Snake!"
Drought's End
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Past the endless chain of beaches,
Past the surf and golden sand.
In the outback of Australia;
...In the Never-never land.
Far away from bustling cities
And the fertile coastal plain,
Live a mob of aussie children
That have never seen it rain!
"Oh, please, mother, tell me once more,
How I'll see, before I die,
The wonder of the falling rain;
..The water from the sky.
And tell me how the land will bloom
And how the drought will pass,
And how our stock will prosper
In the fields of waving grass.
And how our weak and scrawny sheep
Will fatten up again,
And feed will be abundant
After seven years of pain.
Mother, see the dark clouds rising!
Look! They're climbing way up high.
See the lightning that is flashing
All across the western sky!
Now I feel a cool wind rising.
And I see the falling rain.
Watch it making little rivers
All across the window pane.
Mother, mother can you see it,
Falling from the clouds above?
Falling on this savaged, ravaged land
This starved brown land we love!
Listen mother! Can you hear it?
Can you hear the joyous sound
Of it rushing through the gutters
As the rain is pelting down?
But the wind is howling louder
And the storm is more intense.
Can you hear the windows rattling
At nature's violence?
Mother, mother, can you hear it,
Can you hear that awful roar
Coming from the old dry creek bed
I've not heard that sound before!
Hear the noise! It's getting closer,
So much louder than before,
There's a swirling, muddy river
Just outside the kitchen door!
Can you feel the whole house shaking..
Can you hear the timbers groan?
Mother,look! The house is moving..
..Being carried on the foam!"
MOTHER...!
.... In many of the world's semi-civilized countries, there
still exists today various so-called "sports" in which animals
are slaughtered for the entertainment of the alleged
sportsmen and women!
..... What kind of a mind must one have to be able
to derive any pleasure from the killing of another
creature of any species?
...The FOX speaks...
H O U N D E D
by Jean Fox
Reading, Berks, U.K.
The Hunt debate, it rages now
The Fox needs your support
It's plain to see, the fox should be
Spared from this vile blood sport
Those country gents,and ladies too
All mounted on their steeds
With whoops of joy, cry "Tally Ho"
And then defend their deeds
The fox is vermin they will say
Our chickens he will steal
He is a threat upon the land
He hunts to get a meal
The fox is sly, and cunning too
It's our livestock he kills
Then for 'sport', they hunt him down
And watch as his blood spills!
Poor little fox,God put him here
Upon this blessed earth
He has a right to live his life
Free from the hunters mirth
He has a mate, a family too
And these he has to feed
He doesn't kill for pleasure
He will take just what he'll need
So, far from being vermin
It's a fact I do believe
He surely is more noble
Than the hunter can conceive
He's beautiful and clever
And a great joy to behold
More pure by far, more innocent
Than hunters with their gold
God gave him life and through his veins
God's sweet lifeblood it courses
Delightful Fox, Oh Blessed Be
The Vermin ride the horses!
C L O N I N G
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
So Dolly has become a mum!
The sheep world's celebrating
No Petrie dish or vials in sight
It was a normal mating.
Dolly is delirious,
And so is Sam the ram,
Between the two, they have produced
A lively little lamb.
No longer will the world bewail
The fauna on the brink,
..The world's endangered animals,
..The creatures near-extinct.
We'll replace any animal
Or species that's expired
With a tiny microscopic cell,
That's all that is required.
The concept of it dazzles one
Though some will want a ban!
Why, we could clone a million pigs
With just one can of Spam!
And we could now replace them all
If it comes to the crunch,
With just the bits we have leftover
From last sunday's lunch.
T R I U M P H
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain.
In silence, in the velvet night,
lit by pinpoints of vivid light,
I wander blindly to the south,
immersed in frigid seas.
My age is lost in time's shadows,
..in aeons of primeval snows,
Borne from the Greenland glacier fields,
far from the warm land breeze.
My drift; by currents is maintained;
my course; by fate is preordained,
Before midnight I drift inside..
the busy shipping tracks.
A lookout spots me in the dark,
a radio transmits the spark.
I am reported to the world
and cautious souls react.
But from the east this winter night,
a black colossus steams in sight,
Racing to the west despite
the danger waiting there!
Her goal is shipping dominance,
her high speed fueled by arrogance,
Before the night is over,
the result will be despair.
I wait, and I feel no remorse,
in spite of the collision course,
For I am just a passive player
in this deadly play.
They've seen me now, but much too late,
and there is no escaping fate,
A glancing blow is struck and leaves
her plates in disarray!
My mass absorbs the mighty shock;
my body solid as bedrock.
I shatter not, nor tremble
as the ship glances away.
The icy water rushes in,
filling compartments to the brim.
Fifteen hundred doomed to die
seek refuge in dismay!
But there is none; nowhere to go,
the frigid water is the foe!
The ship is listing badly now;
the end is near at hand!
Lifeboats are lowered with all speed,
but are too few to fill the need.
"Nearer my God to Thee" is heard,
played by the doomed ship's band..
The stern rises above the waves,
then plunges to her watery grave,
A plume of air and flotsam mark
the place of her long dive.
Water too cold to sustain life,
kills them as surely as a knife,
And in a mere ten minutes
none of them are left alive!
The cries and shouts and prayers have ceased,
the sea returns to lonely peace.
The engineering triumph rests
among the crabs and snails.
The news is spread around the world
and flags at half-mast are unfurled,
Fifteen hundred families
are left to weep and wail.
In silence, in the velvet night,
lit by pinpoints of vivid light
I wander blindly to the south
immersed in frigid seas.
My age is lost in time's shadows,
..in aeons of primeval snows,
Borne from the Greenland glacier fields,
far from the warm land breeze.
S P E C I A L O C C A S I O N S
Frank Halliwell
Jimboomba, Australia.
Public Domain
She recognized the wrapping as she took it from the drawer,
She'd been with her sister when she bought it many years before.
She unwrapped the tissue paper and fingered the finespun lace,
And as the memories flooded back she pictured Kathy's face.
She'd bought the slip during a trip about ten years ago,
And she paid a fortune for it, I was there and I should know!
It was pretty and expensive, and I often heard her say..
She was saving it for "special, it's too nice for everyday!"
We were at Kathy's apartment, and were sorting through her things,
Trying hard to find some meaning in the shock tragedy brings.
A lot of clothes for charities were piled up on the bed,
And a pile for the mortician at the corner of the spread.
Harry took the filmy slip and held it for a while,
Then he placed it very gently on the small "mortician's pile".
He slammed the dresser drawer shut and he spoke, angry, and numb..
"Forget special occasions, Sis, to-morrow may not come!"
I thought about those angry words through the sad weeks ahead,
And all those things "for special days" laid out on Kathy's bed,
..The places that she'd never been and things she'd never done,
Because she couldn't find the time to do things just for fun!
I still think about those eight words, and how they've changed my life,
Though many years have faded since that time of pain and strife.
These days you'll find me reading more, and dusting somewhat less,
I never did like housework much, I really must confess.
And there are things more crucial than to polish silverware,
To press the sheets and bedclothes and the children's underwear,
And dusting round the cornices and behind all the books,
'Cause it really doesn't matter, and no one ever looks!
I can write old friends the letters I was going to write "someday",
And silence that small nagging voice that has so much to say,
Or maybe mend some fences for some harsh words that I said,
To-morrow might be too late, for I could just wake up dead!
I may laze on the patio, and gaze up at the sky,
And watch the big jet aeroplanes and fluffy clouds roll by,
I don't want to do it "sometime", because fate may not allow.
If it's something that's worth doing, then I want to do it now!
We don't save our best bone china for those "special events",
'Cause every day is special, now that we have found some sense,
And if I wake to-morrow, even if the skies are gray,
I'll rise and put on my best smile, 'cause it's a special day!
o0o
This poem was inspired by a story by Ann Wells of the Los Angeles Times.
+
***************
I've Lost it!
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain.
I'm right out of potatoes
So I head down to the store
To restock my dwindling larder
Although shopping I deplore!
I fill the trolley to the top
With things that I might need.
Too much is always better
Than too little, is my creed.
When everything is all unpacked
And stashed away where it goes
The awful truth occurs to me...
I didn't get potatoes!
The Refrigerator's open wide,
I don't much want a beer,
But I would really love to know
Just why I'm standing here?
There was something that I wanted
When I walked across the floor,
But my mind became a total blank
On opening the door.
Youth is way back down the track,
And passing years have all been kind,
But somewhere in these golden years
I think that I've mislaid my mind!
o0o
JJ and the Dragon
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain.
Day dreaming in the shower, and all lather to the ears
When suddenly, unknown to me, a visitor appears...
The dogs are going bonkers, not sure of what's in store...
Two strangers on the property, and right outside the door!
It takes but just a moment to wash off all the soap
And find a towel with soap-filled eyes; a blind and hurried grope.
And way on up the driveway, at the entrance to the yard..
A car is trying to escape! Blossom is standing guard !!
She bellows and she blusters and the strangers cringe in fear!
Blossom's not enjoyed herself this much for near a year!
Bribed with imported candy and called by assorted names..
She circles like a great white shark; it's one of Blossom's games!
Maid Jennifer's in peril and she's getting quite a thrill
As the brown and deadly dragon circles for the final kill,
Jennifer needs a hero type to come out and retrieve her
She needs a super champion! .. She needs Sigourney Weaver!
But Sir Frankee slays the dragon with his mighty magic sword,
And a heavy bag of candy will suffice for his reward.
He didn't really slay the donkey though, in spite of her defiance
He used psychology instead and baffled her with science!
o0o
HELP WANTED
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain.
I've been pondering my future
As we're sometimes apt to do,
Trying to reach conclusions
On the paths I might pursue!
I've wandered ancient castles filled
With France's storied past,
And stood atop the Tour Eiffel..
..The view was unsurpassed!
I've climbed the famous leaning tower,
..A trifle ill at ease!
And strolled Italian boulevards
Lined with spaghetti trees.
In retrospect, I can't complain,
Life has been good to me,
'Cause what you see is what you get..
There are no guarantees!
Canada is beautiful
But winters were a grind..
And in the end, I found a home
Where elements are kind.
Where Frangipani perfume fills
The tranquil tropic night
And views on golden beaches
Fill the viewer with delight!
Exotic birds flock to my door
In nature's bold array,
And all my cuddly furry friends
Surround me every day.
I've got it all, it seems to me
Here in my country nook..
And life might reach fulfillment...
...If I only had a cook!
No union members need apply..
The boss is reputable..
Fringe benefits are marginal,
But the pay's abominable!
Fate
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain.
Though not a true believer,
I'm still thankful every day
For the beauty that surrounds me,
..Quite as much as those who pray!
I thank my lucky stars each night
That of the spots on earth,
I've won a land of plenty
From my accident of birth.
For I could, friend, and so could you,
If fates had not been kind,
Been born defective and malformed,
Or deaf,or dumb,or blind...
Or yet been born into a land
Beset by strife and drought,
Without the food to fill our gut,
Or means to lift us out!
Destined to live a life of want
Due to our origin,
Or judged to be unworthy
By the colour of our skin
So if you have your health, my friend,
And freedom, just like me,
Give thanks for your good fortune
To whatever Gods there be...
o0o
The Virus
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain.
Please tell me Doc, what will I do,
My life's an awful mess!
I just can't face the world each day
because of all the stress!
My heart is pounding in my chest
My pressure's up too high!
Tell me, can you prescribe a cure?
...Without it I shall die!
My enemy of old once more
Is giving me nightmares.
I let down my defenses
And it caught me unawares!
.............................
"Here is my prescription sir,
To help you to survive:
No booze, no sex, and most of all..
... No Windows 95."
O0O
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