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RonB.
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« on: June 15, 2007, 11:42:37 AM » |
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BERT’S BIRDS.
Old Bert was well liked, a Bilpin orchardist of local fame,
He knew all about growing apples, a master at the game,
Back in those days when a living could be comfortably made
From hard work on a small acreage, before all this global trade,
And the middle-man greed and Supermarkets taking control
Causing many farmers despair, ruin and bruising of soul!
Even in Berts day you had to take risks and be rather shrewd
But there were not so many factors where one could be ‘screwed‘,
There were seasonal variations and pests, fruit bats and …birds,
Birds!! Ah yes! And that’s the reason for the penning of these words,
For Bert loved a joke and in this story his humour excelled
Of how, with one careful shotgun blast six currawongs he felled!
In a season when the currawongs were exceedingly bad,
Their attacking fruit and noisy call were driving farmers mad,
Bert loved all natures creation; he was a humane chap,
But when it meant his livelihood, the birds had to take the rap!
And they became very cunning as the apple season passed
Thus resulting, in when shooting, that it had to be done fast!
The old packing shed in peak season was a busy affair
With activity non stop and apple cases packed everywhere,
And a full case that was broken had been left under a tree
With the intention of picking up later when time was free,
It was on the orchards edge only a stones throw from the shed,
Where the currawongs saw but a vision, of dinner ahead!
Half the apples from the broken case had spilled to the ground
And there must have been two dozen squabbling birds gathered around,
Inside the back of the shed at a louvred window stood Bert
Silently executing a plan so as not to alert,
Stealthily his old shotgun beneath the bottom louvre he placed
And of apples, quietly told the birds they’d had their last taste!
Soon after he had squeezed the trigger six currawongs lay dead
And the noise of the gun was reverberating ‘round the shed,
An assessment was then made, after things settled from the blast
Showing, that the currawongs had not been totally outclassed,
For Bert would laugh later, it wasn’t one of his better manoeuvres
As the uplift recoil of the gun, had broken seven louvres!!
© Ron Boughton 14/6/’07.
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