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Ciderman
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Ciderman is offline
Masterton, New Zealand
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,014
Ciderman is male  Ciderman has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
24-08-2018, 06:00 AM
1

Writings from the Antipodes.

The Hippo and the Bird.

The hippo’s delight was far out of sight,
As she lay in an innocent pose.
Delighted by water
This pachyderm’s daughter,
Displayed just the end of her nose.

A bird of thin kind stood upon her behind,
And rid her of various nits.
He knew that his host
Harboured the most,
Down near the bit where she sits.

After a while, of dining in style,
He perceived that his legs had got shorter
For the wet stuff had rose
Beyond his long toes,
And his beakful of nits full of water.

He looked at the sky, with one beady eye,
And considered it likely that rain
Was the cause of the wet
That had caused him to get
His feathers to go down the drain.

The brain of a bird, as often is heard,
Is not known for it’s skill in debate,
Sometimes I think
As it stops for a drink,
How on earth can it find it’s own mate!

The bird, now rinsed, is completely convinced
That the water is rapidly filling.
It thinks of a plan,
As only birds can,
To save it from this kind of chilling.

It will call on it’s host, to summons it’s most
To swim upwards as fast as it’s able.
Then once at the top,
Off he quickly would hop
And find himself something more stable.

This poor, wretched bird, if only he’d heard
That the nits and the hippo that’s got ‘em,
When the sunshine is hot,
As likely as not,
They’ll sink, for hours, to the bottom.

©Ciderman
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Silver Tabby
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God's own county!
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24-08-2018, 06:37 AM
2

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

Love it - more please!
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Ciderman
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Ciderman is offline
Masterton, New Zealand
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,014
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24-08-2018, 07:33 AM
3

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

Thank you ma'am!

Fairies

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden,
Living in the septic tank.
I leave a possum trap set up
Beneath the stony bank.

I hear their murmers in the night,
It’s such an awful sound,
They leave their dirty dishes out,
And litter scattered round.

They break their bottles in the grass
And make an awful mess,
I’ve put out litter bins and such,
They just don’t see, I guess!
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Silver Tabby
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God's own county!
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 24,659
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24-08-2018, 10:02 AM
4

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

Brilliant !
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Ciderman
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Ciderman is offline
Masterton, New Zealand
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,014
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24-08-2018, 10:40 AM
5

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

And finally, before I go to bed. A sad one.


The Dog
You may not see me often as I ride around my sheep
The hills are hard and savage and the bloody things are steep.
I find a seep, a boggy patch and tell my horse to go
But he is being stubborn - in his minds eye he says ,”No!”
We struggle some, then I get off and lead him to the place
One step and I am knee deep , then flat upon my face.

I look up to his patient face as he stands up and dry,
While I gaze wet and miserable into a leaden sky.
Back aboard my saddle I let him show me where
The best place to approach and then to get us there.
My silent heading Dog looks up as if to ask the Lord
Where did he get this useless boss who cannot find a ford.

We reach the ridge and Dog has seen a ewe that’s having trouble
He looks at me and sighs and rounds her up quick double,
He eyes her still and I’m supposed to creep up to her with skill,
Assist the lamb to join the world and help him get his fill.
The Dog is thirteen years of age, I lack his expertise
To do the job as well as he, as I fumble on my knees.

For three years Dog encouraged me, and tried to help me learn
But he was aging fast, you see and I had years to burn.
At last his sight was giving in, but agile still and keen
He’d run into a tree or fence his dim eyes hadn’t seen.
I couldn’t leave him left behind when other dogs I ran
He loved the run, the company, the knowledge that he can.

I shot that Dog one evening. Under the kanuka tree
Gave him fillet steak , his favourite , set his spirit free.
I stroked his old grey head before he died under my hand,
Owed him that, I did , a friend , fellow worker on the land.
The tears rolled down my cheeks as I sighted between his eyes
The shot thundered, he twitched a bit, became silent bye and bye

I buried him with care and thought, beneath that tree so old
Wrapped in a blanket bright to keep him from the cold.
I made a token to mark the ground that was his place of rest
I knew without a doubt that he was one of nature’s best.
I sat for hours beside his grave , that starry moonlit night
And watched a meteor flash past and thought, “an omen!” right!
Sweetie pie
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Dorset
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 27,450
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24-08-2018, 11:39 AM
6

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

OH, I LOVE THEM.

We are honoured to have you on the forum.
You are rather handsome too.
What a bonus. x
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Silver Tabby
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God's own county!
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 24,659
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24-08-2018, 03:28 PM
7

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

Originally Posted by Ciderman ->
And finally, before I go to bed. A sad one.


The Dog
You may not see me often as I ride around my sheep
The hills are hard and savage and the bloody things are steep.
I find a seep, a boggy patch and tell my horse to go
But he is being stubborn - in his minds eye he says ,”No!”
We struggle some, then I get off and lead him to the place
One step and I am knee deep , then flat upon my face.

I look up to his patient face as he stands up and dry,
While I gaze wet and miserable into a leaden sky.
Back aboard my saddle I let him show me where
The best place to approach and then to get us there.
My silent heading Dog looks up as if to ask the Lord
Where did he get this useless boss who cannot find a ford.

We reach the ridge and Dog has seen a ewe that’s having trouble
He looks at me and sighs and rounds her up quick double,
He eyes her still and I’m supposed to creep up to her with skill,
Assist the lamb to join the world and help him get his fill.
The Dog is thirteen years of age, I lack his expertise
To do the job as well as he, as I fumble on my knees.

For three years Dog encouraged me, and tried to help me learn
But he was aging fast, you see and I had years to burn.
At last his sight was giving in, but agile still and keen
He’d run into a tree or fence his dim eyes hadn’t seen.
I couldn’t leave him left behind when other dogs I ran
He loved the run, the company, the knowledge that he can.

I shot that Dog one evening. Under the kanuka tree
Gave him fillet steak , his favourite , set his spirit free.
I stroked his old grey head before he died under my hand,
Owed him that, I did , a friend , fellow worker on the land.
The tears rolled down my cheeks as I sighted between his eyes
The shot thundered, he twitched a bit, became silent bye and bye

I buried him with care and thought, beneath that tree so old
Wrapped in a blanket bright to keep him from the cold.
I made a token to mark the ground that was his place of rest
I knew without a doubt that he was one of nature’s best.
I sat for hours beside his grave , that starry moonlit night
And watched a meteor flash past and thought, “an omen!” right!
That made me cry - but it is an excellent poem. Thank you.
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Longdogs
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SW England
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 43,957
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24-08-2018, 03:33 PM
8

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

Excellent Ciderman. I'm just hoping the dog poem isn't a true story.
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Morticia
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England
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 13,924
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24-08-2018, 04:34 PM
9

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

Originally Posted by Ciderman ->
And finally, before I go to bed. A sad one.

Oh that was so sad ... but so beautifully written.
gumbud
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australia
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 12,372
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24-08-2018, 04:37 PM
10

Re: Writings from the Antipodes.

Originally Posted by Sweetie pie ->
OH, I LOVE THEM.

We are honoured to have you on the forum.
You are rather handsome too.
What a bonus. x
he was sixteen then fgs!!
 
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