Kelly's Conversion Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEFFGGHEIIJJH EKKLLMNOEKKPPQQKEKKR SMMHE TTKKUUFFVVKKKKNNTTVV WW XXXYYDDKKZZX A2A2B2B2PPC2C2C2BB A2A2D2D2IIKKKKK YYE2F2E2KKDDG2G2H2A2 I2I2 KKOOK KKKK KKJ2J2AAVVKK KKXX

KELLY the Ranger half opened an eyeA
To wink at the Army passing byA
While his hot breath thick with the taint of beerB
Came forth from his lips in a drunken jeerB
Brown and bearded and long of limbC
He lay as the Army confronted himC
And clad in grey one and all did prayD
That his deadly sins might be washed awayD
But Kelly stubbornly answered Nay 'E
Then the captain left him in mild despairF
But before the music took up its blareF
A pale faced lassie stepped out and spokeG
A little sad girl in a sad grey cloakG
Rise up Kelly your work's to doH
Kelly the Saviour's a calling you 'E
He strove to look wise rubbed at his eyesI
Looked down at the ground looked up at the skiesI
And something that p'r'aps was his conscience stirredJ
He seemed perplexed as again he heardJ
The girl with the garments of saddest hueH
Say Kelly the Saviour's a calling you 'E
He got on his knees and thence to his feetK
And stumbled away down the dusty streetK
Contrived to cadge at the pub a drinkL
But still in his ear the glasses chinkL
And jingle only the one refrainM
Clear as the lassie's voice againN
Kelly Kelly come here to meO
Kelly the Rager I've work for thee 'E
He trembled and dropped the tumbler and sloppedK
The beer on the counter the barman stoppedK
With a curious eye on his haggard faceP
Kelly old fellow you're going the paceP
Don't you fancy it's time to takeQ
A pull on yourself put your foot on the brakeQ
You'll have the horrors without a doubtK
This time next week if you don't look out 'E
But he didn't he sobered himself that nightK
That time next week' he was nearly rightK
Yet still at the mill though he'd stopped the grogR
As the saw bit into the green pine logS
The wood shrieked out to him in its painM
A fragment caught of the same refrainM
As the swift teeth cut and the sawdust flewH
Kelly Kelly I've work for you 'E
-
Then the seasons fell and the floods came downT
And laid the dust in the frightened townT
No more the beat of hoofs and feetK
Was heard the length of the crooked streetK
For leaving counter and desk and tillU
All had fled to the far sandhillU
But everywhere that a man might dareF
Risk life to save it Kelly was thereF
No more the voice had a tale to tellV
He'd found his work and he did it wellV
Who stripped leggings and hat and coatK
To swim the lagoon to reach the boatK
Who pushed out in the dead of nightK
At the mute appeal of a beacon lightK
Who was blessed by the women thenN
And who was cheered by the stalwart menN
As he shot the rapids above the townT
With two pale Smiths and a weeping BrownT
Landing them safe from his cockle shellV
Woefully frightened but safe and wellV
With their friends on the sandhill all secureW
Who but Kelly you may be sureW
-
They reckoned the heads up one by oneX
And he sighed as he thought that the work was doneX
But soon found out that 'twas not begunX
They counted away till it came to passY
They missed the little Salvation lassY
She'd been to pray with a man who layD
Sick on the river shore far awayD
Men looked askance and the women smoteK
Their hands in grief as he launched the boatK
He turned as he cast the painter looseZ
Who'll make another It's little useZ
My going alone for I'm nearly doneX
And from here to the point is a stiffish run '-
Then one stepped forward and took an oarA2
And the boat shot out for the other shoreA2
To and fro where the gums hang lowB2
And bar their passage the comrades rowB2
Hard up stream where the waters raceP
Steady where floating branches laceP
Through many a danger and sharp escapeC2
And catch of breath as the timbers scrapeC2
And thrill to the touch of some river shapeC2
Till at last the huts on the point draw nearB
And over their shoulders the boatmen peerB
-
The flood was running from door to doorA2
Two feet six on the earthen floorA2
Half way up to the bed it ranD2
Where two pale women and one sick manD2
Crouched and looked at the water's riseI
With horror set in their staring eyesI
While the children wept as the water creptK
But how the blood to their hearts high leaptK
As over the threshold the rescuers steppedK
And wrapped in blanket and shawl and coatK
Carried the saved to the crazy boatK
-
Then Kelly circled the little lassY
With his strong right arm and as in a glassY
Saw himself in her eyes that shoneE2
Sweet in a face that was drawn and wanF2
And he felt that for her life he'd give his ownE2
Too short a moment her cheek was pressedK
Close to the beat of his spray wet breastK
While her hair just lay like a golden rayD
The last farewell of a passing dayD
Gently he settled her down in the sternG2
With a tender smile and had time to turnG2
To look to the others and then he sawH2
That the craft was full and could hold no moreA2
He looked at the party old young and sickI2
While he had no tie neither wife nor chickI2
-
Then with a shove he sent out the boatK
Far on the turbid stream afloatK
Pull ' said Kelly now pull ' said heO
Pull with your load and come back for meO
You may be late but at any rateK
I'm better able than you to wait '-
They pulled and looking back saw him standK
Shading his eyes with his big rough handK
Silent patient and smiling facedK
With the water curling around his waistK
-
Return they did but they found him notK
Nought but the chimney then marked the spotK
They found him not when the boat went backJ2
Never a trace of him never a trackJ2
Only the sigh and the dreary cryA
Of the gums that had wept to see him dieA
These alone had a tale to tellV
Of a life that had ended passing wellV
The sad refrain of a hero's fateK
Tuned in a tongue we may not translateK
-
Facing Death with a stout brave heartK
Choosing the nobler and better partK
Home to the land of eternal sunX
Kelly had gone for his work was doneX

Barcroft Henry Thomas Boake



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