Bora born
Ida _
To the tip of Cape York he was posted,
on transfer from the Darling Downs,
trying to reach his birthplace Cooktown, curious to see what was there .........
Decades later,
from an old cook shire resident he was to find out,
the old hospital before it was moved,
was built on a bora ring _ few know about.
His grandfather had owned a local hotel,
the top pub as was commonly known,
until recently the Commercial _ nothing like changing a name ........
Nearly lost him,
at six months told by his mother before she too passed on,
that's not when he was crawling,
but while she was carrying _ before he was born.
Born in the witching hour at ten minutes to one,
the sister on duty at one end of the verandah,
the mothers cries for help could not be heard _ so in desperation she walked ........
Along the verandah,
he arrived halfway along,
the water had broken,
no clapsticks to sing him in song.
She worked in the hotel helping her husband George,
with two other girls to bring up with help from Ida,
a Murri woman from Hopevale _ the work still had to be done ...........
The first year of life,
Ida would carry him as she would do her rounds,
a time when everyone would just help each other,
without even asking _ just the way it was done then.
Why he thinks of this woman,
is a little bit hard to explain, his earliest memories are stories of her _
as part of the extended family she became .....
Perhaps it was from the bond with this woman,
and the connection made,
he wanted to be brought up by other people _ his search with Murri's later began.
Drawn to the culture of extended family,
through a life wanting to be somewhere else,
still loved his parents dearly _ but inside these feelings kept churning ........
Would have given quids,
to live with his rellies more freedom where they were,
enjoyed the best of times when on the rare occasions _ the visits were made.
He still can't get back to cooktown,
I'm sure he will run out of time,
southern money is about to flood the place _ cooktown the next port douglas it seems ........
Is this story leading somewhere,
no not really, sorry, once again,
he just wanted to say thanks to Ida who along with his mother,
gave the direction when he was first born.
- O -
© 2003 _ Nhawrr yirrpa
on transfer from the Darling Downs,
trying to reach his birthplace Cooktown, curious to see what was there .........
Decades later,
from an old cook shire resident he was to find out,
the old hospital before it was moved,
was built on a bora ring _ few know about.
His grandfather had owned a local hotel,
the top pub as was commonly known,
until recently the Commercial _ nothing like changing a name ........
Nearly lost him,
at six months told by his mother before she too passed on,
that's not when he was crawling,
but while she was carrying _ before he was born.
Born in the witching hour at ten minutes to one,
the sister on duty at one end of the verandah,
the mothers cries for help could not be heard _ so in desperation she walked ........
Along the verandah,
he arrived halfway along,
the water had broken,
no clapsticks to sing him in song.
She worked in the hotel helping her husband George,
with two other girls to bring up with help from Ida,
a Murri woman from Hopevale _ the work still had to be done ...........
The first year of life,
Ida would carry him as she would do her rounds,
a time when everyone would just help each other,
without even asking _ just the way it was done then.
Why he thinks of this woman,
is a little bit hard to explain, his earliest memories are stories of her _
as part of the extended family she became .....
Perhaps it was from the bond with this woman,
and the connection made,
he wanted to be brought up by other people _ his search with Murri's later began.
Drawn to the culture of extended family,
through a life wanting to be somewhere else,
still loved his parents dearly _ but inside these feelings kept churning ........
Would have given quids,
to live with his rellies more freedom where they were,
enjoyed the best of times when on the rare occasions _ the visits were made.
He still can't get back to cooktown,
I'm sure he will run out of time,
southern money is about to flood the place _ cooktown the next port douglas it seems ........
Is this story leading somewhere,
no not really, sorry, once again,
he just wanted to say thanks to Ida who along with his mother,
gave the direction when he was first born.
- O -
© 2003 _ Nhawrr yirrpa
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