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Poems - the rabbit

the rabbit

by liarbird

‘By jove my brother dear, the place is cursed by drying heat and flies.
How I miss our hunting forays, where the English common lies,
So different are the hunting fields, as too the local hunting habits.
How I surely miss the chase, the kill, the taste of roasted rabbits.
* * * * *
From far away in Somerset, a gift to fill a settlers heart,
Twenty-four prime rabbits for Tom Austin, whose run was ‘Barwon Park’,
Not to be caged or nurtured pets, but the freedom of the station,
To be closely guarded, from any poaching situation.

‘Thank you brother James, for your kindness and your trouble,
Already in a few short weeks, I’m sure I’m seeing double,
It won’t be long before, on these ‘bunnies’ we will dine’.
Tom Austin sent this letter back, some time in eighteen fifty-nine.

Family and friends were offered, the odd shot but not to rout,
For Tom didn’t want to see, his rabbits get wiped out,
T’was then a furrowed brow. Tom Austin knew something was wrong,
Each day he took to notice, more of his crop was gone.

If Tom Austin thought the rabbit, would stay upon his run,
When it could breed much quicker, than he could load his gun,
Sadly his mistake, within ten years accumulated
Into disaster on this land, which could not be overstated.

By seventy-two the Murray, proved to be no barrier.
By eighty-six the pest, had reached the Queensland border.
All that’s in the rabbits path, be it seedlings, roots or grass,
Turned to dust, there’s no control, the rabbit just swept past.

In eighteen-eighty seven, New South Wales faced devastation.
Politicians hope a bounty, may retrieve the situation.
Twenty five million rabbit skins were put up for reward.
To pay that kind of money, government could not afford.
* * * * *
How this land has suffered, the situations still the same,
No re-growth then erosion, the rabbit is the blame,
Scientific measures have bought hope, only to fade away.
I wonder if Tom Austin is turning in his grave.

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by rondo on Thursday, October 08, 2009 (21:56:57)

the boy is blissful in his rest, as is with all ignorance.......
but your poem of course was a work of BRILLIANCE and who knows if it were not for the hardships if you fellows would be so bright Fine Poem Sir..................rondo

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by liarbird on Sunday, October 11, 2009 (21:25:54)

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by BrokenWordsPoet on Monday, October 19, 2009 (09:27:17)

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by maryanns on Saturday, October 10, 2009 (20:51:31)

Geez, Lindsay... just one guy's mistake and no others caused this Australian catastrophe???? Yeah, he'd be wise to be buried unknown, eh? Little bunnies everywhere, truly an amazing story mate and it reads like lyrics to me. Excellent, Mary Ann

ps: Do remind me to tell you some day of the "shop bunny" in Oakland...

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by liarbird on Sunday, October 11, 2009 (21:30:58)

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by omegapaf on Sunday, October 11, 2009 (17:30:35)

reminded me of a story about a lighthouse keeper who took his cat with him to an uninhabited island ( i believe near tasmania ) to occupy a new lighthouse. the cat caught a flightless bird ( a type of finch ) and brought it to the keeper. he thought it was a new species so he sent it to london for identification. by the time it was confirmed as a new species the cat had killed every single bird on the island. the only known example of one animal wiping out an entire species. - wascally wabbits - bugs bunny.

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by liarbird on Sunday, October 11, 2009 (21:33:02)

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by Melly on Monday, October 12, 2009 (23:21:22)

gee I had no Idea bunnies could be so destructive,But it makes sense when you think of it .. We have not many here although I had a one eared rabbit for a few years that lived under our pine tree but has disappeared now.. maybe the red fox caught it.. We do have those..that is such a sad story to have the land devastated like that. An excellent write Lindsay with a perfect rhyme . Hugs Melly

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by liarbird on Saturday, October 17, 2009 (21:46:28)

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by Bato on Thursday, October 15, 2009 (19:29:29)

Another beautifully observant piece of writing

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Re: the rabbit (Score: 1 )
by liarbird on Saturday, October 17, 2009 (21:48:45)

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