the barefoot bard Poet Rhyme

Notes About The Poem

The Demise of a Snake

On the farm as a boy , fifty metres from the house
we had an antiquated dunny
Hard to make the distance when 
bowel movements were rather runny

Construction of this dunny consisted, 
of a big hole in the ground
It would sometimes fill with water 
if there was lots of rain around

Another individuality, the building was quite broad
a big and little hole was a feature of the seat
So a parent and a child could sit beside each other
to carry out, a necessary, ablution feat
,
My brother and I, we both abhorred washing dishes , particularly at night
and even though we were both scared of the dark 
It was preferable to invent an urge go down that long hill,
 to that distant outdoor dunny, just sit!! Oh what a lark

 One day, in desperation, I ran down the hill 
to do what I urgently needed to do
And there outside that dunny, was a red bellied black snake
startled, slithered off, under the building to slip into the poo 

Now at night when it became wash up time 
my brother and I would compete, to fulfill ,
that once abhorred chore, it, no longer made us glum
Now too scared to escape fifty metres down the hill,
fearing the imprisoned snake might bite us on the bum

For many weeks we may be busting 
to visit that toilet at night
But still we only went there, when it was full daylight

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Markus Jay February 7, 2026 at 5:06 PM My Grandparents had an outside dunny even though they also had an inside one I would still use it, it was a novelty for this city boy. I do hope you never found a red back sitting on the toilet seat. the barefoot bard February 7, 2026 at 5:24 PM Thank you for your response Markus. The only red back I can think of was when we had sunburn