Saddle the Grey

[Frank Daniel]

Will Ogilvie was born near Kelso, Scotland in 1869 and came to Australia as a twenty year old. One reason for leaving home was his admiration of the poet Adam Lindsay Gordon and his deep fascination for horses. He was an accomplished rider.
   In Australia Will became an expert station hand, he worked as a drover, horse-breaker and musterer on such stations as 'Belalie' on the Warrego River near Engonia in the North-west of New South Wales, and at Maroupe in South Australia, knocking around the bush from 1889 to 1901 when he returned to Scotland.
    It was during this time that he began writing bush poetry focusing on the Outback life and its many adventures. He had a lyrical and romantic approach to the girls of the bush, beautifully described nights in the bush and wrote marvellous horse poetry.
   Will Ogilvie is regarded by many as the original Bard of the Outback. He was a close friend of Breaker Morant. One of Will's most popular works is "Fair Girls and Grey Horses.

After a long healthy life, Will Ogilvie, in his last few weeks, was confined to bed and died peacefully in his sleep on 30th January 1963 at his home in Kirklea Scotland.
His wife (Madge) was ever at his side and a few days before his death she left him for a moment only to return and find him standing by his bedroom window looking into the distance.
His lips were moving, and when she reached him he turned and said . . . . . .

   
‘SADDLE THE GREY’
by Frank Daniel – Canowindra NSW 2002

Old man, old eyes, old memories, life fading from his face,
remembering the nineties; different time and different place.
Reflecting in minds mirror, through a shaded misty haze, 
far distant sounds of hoof beats in his younger wilder days. 

To wilder days, much wilder ways; a world away from home 
in answer to the challenge free to live and free to roam.
Apprenticed to an ancient land, a life he never knew,
in the Outback on ‘Belalie’ – a new chum jackeroo

Drafting in the stock-yards with choking dust and hellish heat
from sun-up through to sundown – such a life was hard to beat.
Night times by glowing fires – swapping yarns and telling lies
as high above the Southern Cross traversed wide open skies.

Far from familiar customs and ideals to which he’d grown
grew lustful seeds for adventure, the likes he’d never known; 
long drives with scrubber bullocks ’neath a dust screened summer sun; 
with cattle from ‘Nelangie’ ’cross an absent owners run.
   
Reckless rides with gay abandon – bold ‘Breaker’ by his side -
flat gallops over grassy plains, both fearless every stride;
all caution to the wild winds that unfurled the hunters sails;
hurdling station boundaries - clacking hooves on sapling rails – 

Mischievous rides when work was done to drink the roguish ale;   
stirrup to stirrup, side by side, in song would each regale;
they’d dance away the hours with girls on the Lachlan side;
each a delight in fancy’s flight, but dare to choose a bride.

Fair girls and grey horses. Who could forget those tresses gold,
or faithful greys that carried him in treasured days of old. 
Unbroken, unbridled beauties, tamed with a touch of hand;
pleasant, passing recollections; a timeless sunburnt land.
 
Land of magic inspiration, the pen flowed swift and fast;
the long sojourn soon over; he set sail for home at last. 
Home to the hills of Scotland’s border mists and morning dew, 
lush valleys and wet lowlands where harsh wintry breezes blew. 

Tears welling in his eyes rolled on an ashen sallowed face.
 ‘Time’ had finally come for him, he’d run his earthly race.
Gone were the wild bush flowers; the wattle’s golden cluster; 
‘Saddle the Grey’ he whispered, ’twas time for his last muster.

[Irene]

Frank
Loved your poem!! Will Ogilvie is one of my favourite bush poets.

I mainly knew his poems from the book 'Saddle for a Throne", but was lucky enough to have recently purchased a copy of his book 'Fair girls and Grey Horses", which you mentioned.
 I also found a lovely poem on the internet that he wrote, and which I posted in the RSL section, called 'The Offside Leader". As you say, he wrote great poetry!

Good to see you posting on this site. Do you look like getting your site up and running again in the near future?

Catchya
Irene

[the grey]

One of my favourite poet's too Frank.  Good tale mate.

Merv

[Babe]

grew lustful seeds for adventure....

I love this line, Frank. It sums up how this country gets into your blood, and grows a love of the life here that can never be quenched, no matter where in the world we end up.

Wonderful to see you here, by the way! I was listening to you in the car just this morning....


Babe

[the mad mare]

Excellent poem Frank, I really enjoyed that and look forward to more.

Kym.

[tomchap]

Loved the story Frank.
Some of it took me back to my boyhood days—especially "Reckless rides with gay abandon".
My brother and I did some crazy things on horses (about 60 years ago). I'm inspired to put some of my own notes into a story.

Thanks,

Cheers
Tom.

[Frank Daniel]

Thanks everyone for the comments re my poem.
Will Ogilvie is a favourite of mine. Apart from 'Saddle for a Throne' compiled by Thelma Williams in 1952, I also have Fair Girls and Grey Horses, my copy printed in 1930. Inside the covers of this book which came to me through a family from Cowra NSW I found a newspaper clipping with a note from a Miss Noni O'Sullivan of Parkville, Vic which reads "Recently I read an article in whch the erroneous statement was made that the Australian and Scottish poet, Will H. Ogilvie, died in 1941. Will H. Ogilvie is not dead. On the contrary, he will be ninety years old this year and lives at Kirklea, Ashkirk, Selkirkshire, Scotland. It's a pity Australia doesn't appreciate her bards enough to know whether they are dead or alive." That clipping was dated 1959.
Another clipping stated "Will Ogilvie, bush balladist of the 1890's, died in Scotland last week aged 93, the last of that tribe" That was dated February 1963.
A third on the inside of the cover jacket headed 'Australian Poets. . . ' was an ad for a number of publications by Mary Gilmore, Henry Kendall, Henry Lawson, Dorothea Mackellar and John O'Brien. They were all listed for sale at 2/6d each with 2d postage.  That's 25 cents to you younguns plus 2 cents.
The third and last Ogilvie book in my possession is 'Balladist of Borders and Bush' written by Will Ogilvie's son George T. A. Ogilive in 1994. It dealt with much of the life of his father and of some of his times in Australia as well as a good number of poems. The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame sponsored a trip to Australia for George in 1988, and he visited many of the places his father had travelled or worked.
The last paragraph in my introduction to 'Saddle for a Throne' are actually the words of his daughter Wendy as written and posted The Scotsman.
   

[Bernard de Silva]

G'day Frank,
                 great to see you back in action, Mate...
                 Steady, steady...doing what you love is the very best therapy...
                                          Cheers China,
                                                               Bernie D.