Babs Malone Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABAAB CCDCCD EEFGGD HDDIID JJKLLK EEMLL LLLLL LLLLLL LLDCCD HHLLLL LLADDA HHLLLL HHNLN LLLL L HHKDDK LLOCC LLAHHA HHPQQP HHDLLD LLLLLL HHLLLL HHRLLR

Babs Malone Now the squatters and the cockiesA
Shearers trainers and their jockeysA
Had gathered them together for a meeting on the flatB
They had mustered all their forcesA
Owners brought their fastest horsesA
Monaro bred I couldn't give them greater praise than thatB
-
'Twas a lovely day in SummerC
What the blacksmith called a hummerC
The swelling ears of wheat and oats had lost their tender greenD
And breezes made them shiverC
Trending westward to the riverC
The river of the golden sands the moaning EucumbeneD
-
If you cared to take the troubleE
You could watch the misty doubleE
The shadow of the flying clouds that skimmed the Boogong's browF
Throwing light and shade incessantG
On the Bull Peaks' ragged crescentG
Upon whose gloomy forehead lay a patch of winter's snowD
-
Idly watching for the startingH
Of the race that he had part inD
Old Gaylad stood and champed his bit his weight about nine stoneD
His owner stood beside himI
Who was also going to ride himI
A shearer from Gegederick whose name was Ned MaloneD
-
But Gaylad felt disgustedJ
For his joints were fairly rustedJ
He longed to feel the pressure of the jockey on his backK
And he felt that for a pin he'dL
Join his mates who loudly whinniedL
For him to go and meet them at the post upon the trackK
-
From among the waiting cattleE
Came the sound of childish prattleE
And the wife brought up their babe to kiss his father for good luckM
Said Malone When I am seatedL
On old Gaylad and am treatedL
With fairish play I'll bet we never finish in the ruck '-
But the babe was not contentedL
Though his pinafore was scentedL
With oranges and sticky from his lollies for he criedL
This gallant little laddyL
As he toddled to his daddyL
And raised his arms imploringly Pease dad div Babs a wide '-
-
Then the father how he chuckledL
For the pride of it and buckledL
The surcingle and placed the babe astride the racing padL
He did it though he oughtn'tL
And by pure good luck he shortenedL
The stirrups and adjusted them to suit the tiny ladL
-
Who was seemingly delightedL
Not a little bit affrightedL
He sat and twined a chubby hand among the horse's maneD
His whip was in the otherC
But all suddenly the motherC
Shrieked Take him off ' and then the field came thund'ring down the plainD
-
'Twas the Handicap was comingH
And the music of their drummingH
Beat dull upon the turf that in its summer coat was dressedL
The racehorse reared and startedL
Then the flimsy bridle partedL
And Gaylad bearing featherweight was striding with the restL
-
That scene cannot be paintedL
How the poor young mother faintedL
How the father drove his spurs into the nearest saddle horseA
What to do he had no notionD
For you'd easier turn the oceanD
Than stop the Handicap that then was half way round the courseA
-
On the bookies at their yellingH
On the cheap jacks at their sellingH
On the crowd there fell a silence as the squadron passed the standL
Gayest colours flashing brightlyL
And the baby clinging tightlyL
A wisp of Gaylad's mane still twisted in his little handL
-
Not a thought had he of fallingH
Though his little legs were gallingH
And the wind blew out his curls behind him in a golden streamN
Though the motion made him dizzy Yet his baby brain was busyL
For hadn't he at length attained the substance of his dreamN
-
He was now a jockey reallyL
And he saw his duty clearlyL
To do his best to win and justify his father's prideL
So he clicked his tongue to GayladL
Whispering softly Get away lad '-
The old horse cocked an ear and put six inches on his strideL
-
Then the jockeys who were tailingH
Saw a big bay horse come sailingH
Through the midst of them with nothing but a baby on his backK
And this startling apparitionD
Coolly took up its positionD
With a view of making running on the inside of the trackK
-
Oh Gaylad was a beautyL
For he knew and did his dutyL
Though his reins were flying loosely strange to say he never fellO
But held himself togetherC
For his weight was but a featherC
Bob Murphy when he saw him murmured something like Oh hell '-
-
But Gaylad passed the fillyL
Passed Jack Costigan on ChiliL
Cut down the coward Wakatip and challenged Guelder RoseA
Here it was he showed his cunningH
Let the mare make all the runningH
They turned into the straight at stride for stride and nose for noseA
-
But Babs was just beginningH
To have fears about his winningH
In fact to tell the truth my hero felt inclined to cryP
For the Rose was still in blossomQ
And two lengths behind her PossumQ
And gallant little Sterling slow but sure were drawing nighP
-
Yes Babsie's heart was failingH
For he felt old Gaylad ailingH
Another fifty yards to go he felt his chance was goneD
Could he do it much he doubtedL
Then the crowd oh how they shoutedL
For Babs had never dropped his whip and now he laid it onD
-
Down the straight the leaders thunderedL
While the people cheered and wonderedL
For ne'er before had any seen the equal of that sightL
And never will they maybeL
See a flaxen headed babyL
Flog racehorse to the winning post with all his tiny mightL
-
But Gaylad's strength is waningH
Gone in fact beyond regainingH
Poor Babs is flogging hopelessly as pale as any ghostL
But he looks so brave and prettyL
That the Rose's jock takes pityL
And pulling back a trifle lets the baby pass the postL
-
What cheering and tin kettlingH
Had they after at the settlingH
And how they fought to see who'd hold the baby on his lapR
As President MontgomeryL
With a brimming glass of PommeryL
Proposed the health of Babs Malone who'd won the HandicapR

Barcroft Henry Thomas Boake



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