Outback Venture

Often in my discussions with my bushy mate,
Like a fish out of water, town life doesn't rate,
Yearning for the bush, where he felt at home,
Telling me, “I'm visiting soon, want to come”?

I readily accepted, to see our outback revealed,
To get back to the basics is what most appealed,
To the people of the land, boots covered in dirt,
Shedding a suit for an akubra and checked shirt,

Four wheel drive fully laden the journey ahead,
At night out in the open we made our camp bed,
Slept beneath the stars of the great southern cross,
While in touch with nature, but thinking the worst,

No bright city lights to diminish a jet black sky,
Cicadas singing in harmony, as the fruit bats fly by,
Sound carries for miles, its' distinctive, not a noise,
Here is a world in unison, that suburbia destroys,

While boiling the billy, I spied a red bellied black,
He grabbed it by the tail, with an almighty crack,
A fatal whiplash and my bushy mate held it high,
Hanging limply from his hand, like a gentleman's tie,

Bush tucker on the menu for breakfast this morn,
Witchetty grubs, tart berries and damper from corn,
Honey ants, bush yams and a huge variety of fruit,
A fry-pan full with fish, from toxic effects of a root,

Miles of dirt roads, rutted from previous storms,
Our conveyance tackles bush tracks of many forms,
Distant horizons cast mirages, across brown flat plains,
With a scattering of green plants due to recent rains,

The station house lies ahead, former life as a jackaroo,
Now friendly waves greet us from the ranch's old crew,
Treated like a prodigal brother, back home to the nest,
I knew by his expression this is the land he knew best,

                                Telling his old mates to teach me a life on the land,
Not to treat me as a “towny”,  but a keen novice  hand,
I got up before the sun rose, put the billy on to boil,
Hot bread from the oven, sandwiches wrapped in foil,

First the sheering shed, supplying shearers with sheep,
Then lifting the shorn wool that was gathered knee deep,
This was hot hard labour, told it was par for the course,
Before the day was done shown how to stay on a horse,

Wire and posts fill the ute, fences in need of repair,
Cattle finding new freedom, new pastures to share,
Enjoying the long paddock by the side of the track,
Despite my shouting they're reluctant to come back,

Each night after dinner we all sit out on the porch,
Moths dance en masse, as the tilly lamp they scorch,
Both men and women sharing experiences of the day,
Camaraderie that's perceptible, their loyalty on display,

Dogs are not pets out here, they are part of the deal,
Each treated with respect, their reward is their meal,
Horses are transport through a land rugged and dry,
Daily cooked by the sun under a cloudless blue sky,

In no time whatsoever, it's time to answer the call,
To the hustle and bustle of the great urban sprawl,
The daily drudgery of the office, like robots obey,
The demands of the customer, no respite in the day,

Each weekend we meet, with fishing lines to cast,
With stories of incidents in the week that just past,
No longer do we chat about such mundane events,
Planning next years trip to the outback with tents.

Poetry Ad-Free Upgrades

Vote for this poem

Please Comment On This Poem

yosph		reedster	poetic2984	poetry2071	poet5170	View All Poets
	Newest Item: I’ll Let You The say chemistry won’t lie so I’m trying to see how our element ... More Added: 2024-04-24 My Poetry List PoetryPoem.com Get a Free Site Blogs Stories Premium Sites