Vonda Stanley's collection of early Australian bush poems

 

MICKETY MULGA

He worked wid us at Wantigong -

Old Mickety Mulga Jim.

We'd all a-gone blue mouldy if

It 'adn't bin for him.

H'd keep us yarnin' at the fire

An' larfin' be the hour

At 'is emusin' annikdotes,

Be George, he 'ad the power.

'E told us up in Queensland, where

'E'd never go again,

He come to some dry water-'ole

Upon a ten mile plain,

The tank was dry, and Jim was dry,

But by a 'appy thought,

He wrung 'e's empty water-bag

An' got about a quart;

But couldn't find a stick of wood

To bile his billy by,

So stuck a match into the grass,

Which then was pretty dry.

He 'eld the billy to the flame

Wid a bit of fencing wire,

But 'ad to go to foller it,

So rapid run the fire.

Five miles acrost that flamin' plain

He raced that fire, did he,

But when at last the billy biled,

He 'ad forgot the tea!

1936 T Ranken