Best Bush Poems
Purple butterfly
Bush grows weary with its load
Covered with gold wings
A BUSH FIRE
One scorching afternoon,
A sudden splintering sound was heard,
The nearest was the buffalo herd,
They smelt the smoke and felt the heat,
And began to charge, they had to beat,
The, scorching red hot fire.
The monkeys who swing and never tire,
Screeched loudly in tongues,
Whilst smoke, stole oxygen out of their lungs.
A mighty midget the porcupine,
Warned chancers that his quills so fine,
Would incur great pain
Not only a red blood stain,
For he dreaded to be turned belly up,
And had no intention, of being anyone’s sup!
The birds began to fly very high,
Away from the smoke, in the sky.
The unfortunate tortoise lost his way,
And sadly, with his life, had to pay.
The giraffe with tall spindly legs
Ran wildly destroying nests and eggs,
His wildness came from his wrath,
And, the chaos along his path.
The animals ran faster away from the fire,
Whilst the flames leapt higher and higher.
A mamba slithered forward next,
Whilst a frightened cub looked on perplexed,
A Zebra, tripped and broke his back,
Causing more confusion in this race track.
The springbok and hyena together ran,
They were now close to the water pan,
The pan was next to a river,
Would they make it,
Each animal began to quiver,
Could the springbok be tomorrow’s lunch,
A tree falls with a thud and crunch,
Distracting the hyena from his would be munch!
The fox cunningly glances from side to side,
Nimbly a burning log jumps wide.
The lions mouth their cubs gently but tight,
As they run from this horrendous plight.
But water is in sight!
Everyone is close to the finish line,
This race has become competitively fine,
The crocodiles are savagely waiting to dine!
They have spotted their first meal,
The frightened perplexed cub hurriedly steal.
Only a quarter,
Can get into the water.
A stampede starts, animals clamber over each other,
The young ones protected by their mother.
Unfortunately only the strongest will survive,
To tell future generations of their strive,
Of what it’s like, living a bush veld life.
Forest fires rage
Seed kernels burst from their cage
Rain quenches – Seeds sprout
A halo round the fading moon
Sweet mist upon the grass.
The croak of frogs from yon lagoon,
A flight of ducks wing past.
A dingo howls farewell to night,
The crimson sunrise comes;
The dawn is here to start the day,
Al hail the rising sun.
That blazing orb now bakes the plains,
Heat shimmers on the ground.
The gum trees droop their leaves in pain,
The paddocks all are brown.
From long grass on the flat below
Rise heads of kangaroo;
Of rain. no sign, of clouds, no show,
Just endless skies of blue.
But now, the evening cool arrives,
The distant hills turn red.
The sun's rays flash like crimson knives
And darkness' blanket spreads.
Cicadas strike their evening chords,
And kookaburras laugh;
On sunset's purple cloak abroad,
The moon spreads silver paths.
rose bush starkly bare
snowflakes shimmer on branches
roots dream thrilling days
January 16, 2022
"Winter Haiku" Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Tania kitchin
Syllables (5-7-5) checked by HMS.com
SECOND PLACE
A Brian Strand Hiku Poetry Contest
FIRST PLACE
An Aussie Bush Pee
Now! Have you ever tried to have a pee?
while squatting down and hiding in the bush.
But first, must pull your jeans and undies down
while all the time you’re showing off your toosh.
You grab your jeans and undies in one hand
to keep them out the way before you go.
While balanced in a squat your legs apart
you think you’re ready to then let it flow.
But! as it starts you then begin to squirt
it everywhere except upon the ground.
And then you realize you cannot stop
pee on your legs, your jeans, and all around.
You try to hold it back while you then change
position of your squat will be the plan.
You curse and swear, but then it squirts again
it’s time like this you wish you were a man.
Undo their zip and let it all hang out
before they start just hold it in their hand.
And then direct the flow just where they want
‘Cause they can take a pee while they still stand.
But no! For me I have to try and squat
on wobbly legs while trying not to fall.
Then as I go, I know I’ll wet my pants,
but how to stop it I have bugger all.
So! Next time when I am out in the bush
and need to pee; I’ll strip off all my clothes.
I’ll stand up straight, pretend I am a man
And maybe only pee upon my toes.
But wait! I have now found the perfect seat
that I can use when I need a bush pee.
No longer need to squat and squirt it out
I’ll take my new ‘bush dunny seat’ with me.
Christine ©
BUSH CAT KILLERS
Lions hunt anything,
They hunt all the while,
They approach their prey,
With incredible guile.
Their plan is strategy,
When they attack,
And like a squadron of
Soldiers surround their
Prey in a pack.
Lions have a reliable nose,
And with their sharp hearing,
This leads to a kill,
And the whole pride
Will enjoy their fill.
Their young are taught to stalk
With co-ordinated precision,
And together one day,
Will form a formidable coalition.
Their stealth and power,
Is a fearsome might,
They have spotted their,
Their kill,
And execute at their will,
Under the cover of night!
Often, opportunity
Knocks at their door,
As an old exhausted
Elephant falls at their feet,
On a stony river bank floor,
And provides an abundance
Of food, attracting drifters,
Like a crocodile!
Lion and crocodile stick to their
Boundaries In an uneasy truce,
Until the territorial
Hippos appear
And come near,
And the Lions then run,
Churning river sand loose!
They leave the elephant carcass
In the lost and found,
Swiftly running for
Higher ground!
It’s time for them to not
Be a hero,
As one hippo bite,
Can zip them to zero!
Did you tire of one President's lecturing and preaching?
Do you cringe at another's tweets, his lechery and "leechering?"
Then as George W Bush Jr's term fades from the annals of recency
Let us recall the stirring words of this man of abiding decency
"Junior" as the USA's President was a bit of an anomaly
As he observed: "I know how hard it is to put food on your family." (Jan, 2000)
It was rather hard to take his Presidency all too seriously
After this: "I know the human being and fish can coexist." (Sept., 2000)
For education, he and Laura shared a passion, a yearning
To wit: "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?" (Jan, 2000)
Of course, Bush could also be sharp as a tack, downright uncanny
Like the time he bragged, "They misunderestimated me!" (Nov, 2000)
And after eight years in office, "W" had become quite the orator
As seen in this reflection: "I think I was unprepared for war, --er." (Dec, 2008)
So there you have it, a smattering of evidence
~ That speaking the King's English is not required of a President
Going bush
So I suppose if the world explodes
With war and misery
I will go bush,
Atom bombs will push
Me away from the great city
Return to the fiftys lifestyle
Box of matches an a pocketknife
To live off the land
Be home again
Mongst Rabbit n Roo
without strife
Eat old sheep,
a feed for a week
Shrimp bucket will get me some….(pale prawns)
Drop a line in the creek
Yellow belly I seek
Or Codfish you’d only need one……like Groper
When Codfish does strike
He can snap your line tight
And jerk it out of your hand
Big buggers out there
A hundred pound, rare
Yet a hard battle to land
Dreaming of the old riverbank
With the Coolibahs overhead
Old snake stay away
I’m not here to play
Brown Froggy is mine to keep
He’ll catch me a Jew
a Yellow belly too
Codfish will snap all that creeps
So into the coals
near me billy of tea
goes the fish well covered to cook
eat him bit later with sweet potato
then into me swag I’m no sook (wuss)
Don Johnson
Laughing purple lilacs rain wonders through a thirsty soul – by poet
Lavender lilacs, tranquil and prayerful
Fill up the heart with a sense of compassion
Lightly whispering in the morning breeze
Gentling the eyes with breaths of pure love
Serenity flows warm through the tender petals
Melting away all worry, pain or depression
With holy hints of soft color - happiness sighing
To the heavens where my heart is admiring
Gracious and glorious blossoms of lilacs
Penetrating the soul with heavy boughs
Flowers so cheerful, they bring laughter to the
Silence and contentment to the forlorn
Purple lilacs so alive they dance in the hues
Of a buttery yellow sun who delights in shining
Down through halos that surround everyone
With a glow of purity only found on angel’s arms
As they bless the ground where
Lilacs bloom in the shadows of a dream
So beautiful it sings the sweetest melody
A chorus of hope, faith and love
Sent down on these green leaves
Who murmur of God’s great peace
Given to hearts who listen to the senses
As they reflect on the lilac’s brilliant semblance
Flower or Flowers - Imagism Form - Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Constance La France
March 11, 2021
Beautiful bush called tango hummingbird mint
Glows a fiery blue with oranges in a glint,
Hummingbirds, honey bees, butterflies too,
Love this plant with the orange and the blue.
I have been trying to buy these bushes for a while.
I am always polite and use my best smile.
I call them on the phone and give them my credit card,
Always out-of-stock, as these are amazing out in the yard.
I have come to a conclusion; there is only one way.
I have thought of it for a year, six months, and a day.
The only way to snag a tango hummingbird mint
Is to find a start off a neighbor, and not a skinflint.
snowball bush full bloom
heart of enchantment dusk fumes
as butterflies flit
green lawn of languor
and beauties lying in beds
in the mellow noon
white moon and scent orbs
attracting hued birds and bees
stopping hearts and feet
frost covers aged rose
petals stiffened by falls chill
sun makes it like glass
Ned Kelly, bush ranger.
An Australian bush ranger
Of Irish descent
He roamed through our ranges
With evil intent.
His name was Ned Kelly
He earned so much fame
Teaming up with his brothers
To rob was their game
He killed him, some policemen
There were three of them
And so repercussions
From this evil did stem
When one day there came
Knocking at his door
Some men of Authority
The arm of the law.
His life was cut short
They hung him one day
In old Melbourne town
His life slipped away
Now he is a legend
Most hold him on high
To me he was evil
And evil must die.
Vera Duggan 4 July 2014
I am the bushland dawning
in the stillness of the morning
I am the sunlit plains
and the mighty river's flow
I'm the drought and I'm the flood
I'm the earth and I'm the blood
I'm the breezes ever blowing
where the wild pandanas grow
I'm the stockman and the drover
and I've walked this land all over
and I share forgotten secrets
that the wild ones only know
I'm the dust of outback trails
I'm the wind that fills the sails
I'm the city and the country
and the first high mountain snow
I'm the Murray River flowing
and the cattle softly lowing
I'm the kangaroo and emu
and the sunset's orange glow
I'm the Southern Cross at night
the explorer's guiding light
I'm the place that tells the traveller
that it's better to go slow
I am Banjo and I'm Lawson
I am Kelly and I'm Mawson
I am the Melbourne Cup
and the Sydney Easter Show
I am wild and still untamed
and there's beauty in my name
I am the land Australia
where the lucky people go.
From my PDF book "Bush Ballads and Bulldust"