From: John.Feltham@f706.n640.z3.fidonet.org (John Feltham)
Newsgroups: k12.lang.art
Subject: John O'Brien - Poet.
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 92 19:41:54 PST
Organization: FidoNet node 3:640/706 - Coral Sea, Townsville Qld Australia

"John O'Brien"   a pseudonym


The Age (Melbourne): Father Hartigan (John O'Brien), "Although the beauty of bush home life and the charm of religious faith are almost his exclusive themes, the writer touches a wide range of human emotions. He has proved his title to a worthy place amongst Australian poets."

SAID HANRAHAN.

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
  In accents most forlorn,
Outside the church, ere Mass began,
  One frosty Sunday morn.

The congregation stood about,
  Coat-collars to the ears,
And talked of stock, and crops, and drought,
  As it had done for years.

"It's lookin' crook," said Daniel Croke:
  "Bedad, its cruke, me lad,
For never since the baks went broke
  Has seasons been so bad."

"It's dry, alright," said young O'Neil,
  With which astute remark
He squatted down upon his heel
  And chewed a piece of bark.

And so around the chorus ran
  "It's keeping dry, no doubt."
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan
  "Before the year is out."

"The crops are done; ye'll have your work
  To save one bag of grain;
From here way out to Back-o'-Bourke
  They're singin out for rain."

"They're singin' out for rain," he said,
  And all the tanks are dry."
The congregation scratched its head,
  And gazed around the sky.

"There won't be grass, in any case,
  Enough to feed an ass;
There's not a blade on Casey's place
  As I came down to Mass."

"If rain don't come this month," said dan,
  And cleared his throat to speak -
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanranhan,
  If rain don't come this week."

A heavy silence seemed to steal
  On all at this remark;
And each man squatted on his heel,
  And chewed a piece of bark.

"We want an inch of rain, we do,"
  O'Neil observed at last;
But Croke "maintained" we wanted two
  To put the danger past.

"If we don't get three inches, man
  Or four to break this drought,
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
  "Before the year is out."

In God's good time down came the rain;
  And all the afternoon
On iron roof and window-pane
  It drummed a lovely tune.

And throught he night it pattered still,
  And lightsome, gladsome elves
On dripping spout and window-sill
  Kept talking to themselves.

It pelted, pelted all day long,
  A-singing at its work,
Till every heart took up the song
  Way out to Back-o'-Bourke.

And after every creek a banker ran,
  And dams filled overtop;
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
  "if this rain doesn't stop."

And stop it did, in God's good time;
  And spring came in to fold
A mantle o'er the hills sublime
  Of green and pink and gold.

And days went by on dancing feet,
  With harvest-hopes immense,
And laughing eyes beheld the wheat
  Nid-nodding o'er the fence.

And, oh, the smiles on every face,
  As happy lad and lass
Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place
  Went riding down to Mass.

While round the church in clothes genteel
  Discoursed the men of mark,
And each man squatted on his heel,
  And chewed a piece of bark.

"There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man,
  There will, without a doubt;
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
  "Before the year is out."


Note.
(Verse 16, 'a banker ran'. If a river in flood broke it's banks,it was 'running a banker'.
If you haven't got it yet 'rooned' is 'ruined'


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