Ashes Poetry

The Gun-shear’s crook, gone in the shank.
Jigg’d his achilles; Achilles is knack’d.
You other blokes, better step-up a rank,
The Gun-shear’s crook, fleece their attack.

Swine flu fever jumps cross paddocks,
Through town and country things seem black.
But your NHS’ll shepherd the stock,
Less known heroes shall stall its attack.

 

This is written in the style of Bush Ballads, composed by 19th century poets such as Banjo Paterson, who wrote ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and whose face appears on the $10 note, and Henry Lawson, which is why the latter day Aussie quick, ex Pakistan coach and commentator is nick-named Henry.

A Gun-shearer is the best sheep shearer, where due to the size of Australian flocks, shearing was revolutionised, and the gun-shearer, like Pietersen, was the top man or top gun.

Thanks to Bernard Whimpress for the gun-shearer reference. Bernard also mentioned  Sunday Too Far Away, a classic 1975 Australian film set in the fifties on a station at shearing time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Too_Far_Away Bernard’s also author of  The Official Ashes Treasure  http://www.wordofsport.com/books/1847323146_the_official_ashes_treasures which is like walking into a museum as well as an excellent book.