He left his friends and loved ones behind him
On that island so timeless and old
And he came to this new world down under
To this land of the proud green and the gold
But his heart ached and longed for his homeland
Oft times he would lay down and cry
He missed the green fields of Old Erin
Many sad tears he brushed from his eye.
But he worked really hard for acceptance
He mixed well and drank beer with the rest
And he embraced the football and rugby
Loved the cricket as they won every test
He spent big on the dogs and the horses
And a good wager was one of his joys
At the Melbourne Cup and the Footie Grand Final
He was a mate… he was one of the boys.
He took the Oath of Allegiance soon after
When he swore to be loyal and true
A bright certificate and bible was given
On Australia Day he became a True Blue
And he worked hard in building this country
On mine sites on tower blocks or dome
He did well from the fruits of his labour
And for his family he built a fine home.
On retiring he tried creative writing
He liked tales of this place he called home
But he fell flat on his face as a failure
Trying to write a fair dinkum bush poem
For he knew not enough of this vast land
Of the hardships of droughts or its clime
Or the great distances needed to travel
And they told him his lines didn’t rhyme.
For many years he tried to write true words
To describe the harsh life in the bush
But he couldn’t quite capture the essence
He gave up…now his voice is a hush
On his tombstone they wrote an inscription
As you pass by… you can easily quote
‘He lies here in Peace, May God rest him,
The Ten-Pound Aussie, Bush Poet.’