was the line of a favourite poem he would recite
during those early years at Capalaba as we three were ...
renewing relationships, starting life with no kids in sight
He'd talk about 'his footprints in the sands of time'
I'd respond with 'Horatius at the bridge' or Annabelle Lee'
he took me back to the time I was a kid
listening to my father who, like Don, had a love of poetry
Don brought it all back ... that love for poetry
his life mirrored by the wisdom of the prose
whether by accident of design it doesn't matter
he gave much more than he got from those ......
of us, who loved and admired the man
a 'live and let live' bloke who never rushed to judge
he'd rather give people the benefit of the doubt
kept his own counsel, from that he would not budge
not a paragon of virtue he'd be the first to concede
he's laugh, and indication he never took himself seriously
if things were grim he'd come up with another line
a throwaway, laced with levity but apt poetically
I'll miss him greatly, the man who loved poetry
these last years would have been so much easier
if we'd been able to exchange poetical repartee
of Lawson, Byron, Paterson or Shakespeare
1 comment:
It's a sad lament, but I think people of that generation took more of an interest in poetry than this one. I guess they had fewer distractions (fortunately) than we have today. And the written word carried a lot of weight. Never mind at least we're keeping the tradition alive. I should get back into it soon.
It's a great heartfelt piece of reminiscence. Good one Bernardo.
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