Possum - A Lay Of Newchumland Poem Rhyme Scheme

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So yer trav'lin' for yer pleasure while yer writin' for the press	A
An' yer huntin' arter copy well I've heer'd o' that I guess	A
You are gorn ter write a story that is gorn ter be yer best	B
'Bout the blunders an' advenchers ov a new chum in the west	B
An' you would be very thankful an' acknowledge any hint	C
Well I karn't say as I hankers fur ter see my name in print	C
But I know a little story an' I'll tell it out ov hand	D
If yer'll put it down in writin' that the swells kin understand	D
It's a story ov a new chum and a story ov the land	D
	-
	-
He had lately kum from Ingland you cud tell it by 's cap	E
Fur kerlonial exper'ence an' he got it too poor chap	E
'Twas in town he met the squatter an' he asked as if in fun	F
If the boss 'ud want a flunkey or a coachy on the run	F
Well it riz the boss's dander an' he jumps clean orf 'is 'oss	A
Now me fresh sweet scented beauty watyer giv'nus sez the boss	A
I hev met yer kidney often an' yer mighty fresh an' free	G
But yer needn't think yer gorn ter come a lardin' over me	G
	-
	-
But the new chum sed that 'onest he was lookin' for a job	H
An' in spite of his appearance he had blued 'is bottom bob	H
An' as beggars karn't be choosers same as people wot are rich	I
Said he'd go as stoo'rd or gard'ner but he warn't partickler which	I
Well the joker seemed in earnest so the boss began ter cool	J
An' he only blanked the new chum for a thund'rin' jumpt up fool	J
Then he sed Well there's the fencin' if yer'll tramp it up from Perth	K
The boys 'll find yer su'thin p'r'aps an' giv' yer wat yer worth	K
	-
	-
Ov course the squatter never thort ter see 'im any more	L
But he wa'n't the kind ov new chum that the squatter tuk 'im for	L
No he wa'n't the kind er cockeroach that on'y kums ter shirk	M
That wants ter git the sugar but is fri'tened ov the work	M
For he sold 'is watch 'n' jool'ry 'n' lardi dardy suits	A
Stuck a swag upon his shoulder 'n' 'is feet in blucher boots	A
An' I dunno how he did it he was anythin' but strong	N
But he 'umped his bluey ninety mile an' kum to Bunglelong	N
	-
He earnt 'is pound and tucker borin' holes an' runnin' wire	O
An' he'd work from dawn to sunset an' he never seemed to tire	O
But he must have suffered orful from the tucker an' the heat	P
An' the everlastin' trampin' made 'im tender in the feet	P
An' he must hev thort ov England w'en the everlastin' flies	A
Ware a worrit worrit worrit an' a knawin' at 'is eyes	A
An' he used to swear like thunder w'en the yaller sergeant ants	A
Took a mornin' stroll promiscus on the inside ov 'is pants	A
	-
He uster make 'is damper six or seven inches thick	N
It was doughey on the inside an' the shell was like a brick	N
An' while the damper made 'im dream ov days ov long ago	N
The little boodie rats 'ud kum an' nibble out the dough	N
He biled 'is taters soggy an' 'is junk was biled to rags	A
The little boodie rats 'ud kum an' chew 's tucker bags	A
But he took 'is troubles cheerful an' he fixed 'em like a pome	G
An' writ 'em in his darey to amuse the folks at home	G
	-
At first he flashed a coller an' was keerful with 'is hat	Q
An' he'd black 'is boots ov Sundays but he soon grew out of that	Q
An' he lernt ter bake 'is damper an' he leant to bile 'is junk	N
An' sleep without a getting up all night ter shake 'is bunk	N
He soon got out ov takin' shorter cuts across the flats	A
An' he learnt to fling ole bottles to the sorror of the rats	A
An' learnt to sling kerlonial and like the bushman's way	R
An' it did us good to see 'im smoke 'is nigger in a clay	R
	-
He would sing an' play 'is fiddle when we gathered round the blaze	A
Till ole Frenchy got excited while he'd play the Mascylays	A
An' Bill 'ud take 'is hat off while he'd spout the Light Brigade	S
An' Scotchy got oneasy when the Bony 'Ills was played	S
So we got ter like the new chum for we'd met with many wuss	A
An' we made it easy for 'im an' he seemed to take to us	A
The toilin' an' the trampin' was a cookin' 'im we found	T
So we made 'im cook an' stoo'rd just ter keep the chap around	T
	-
Well the months went bakin' broilin' on until Christmas nex'	A
When we tramped it down to Perth to spend our 'ollyday and cheques	A
But Possum sed he'd save 'is tin an' stay and mind the camp	U
So we left 'im in possession an' we started on our tramp	U
We useter call 'im Possum but for short we called 'im Poss	A
For 'is eyes was black an' twinklin' and a little chap he was	A
We never would have left 'im if we'd know'd but that's the rub	V
Comin' back we found 'im dyin' in 'is gunyah in the scrub	V
	-
We fixed 'im up an' nursed 'im but we seen without a doubt	W
That consumption was the matter an' the chap was peggin' out	W
But the lion heart inside 'im was as strong an' stout as six	A
An' while he'd smile an' thank us he would joke about 'is fix	A
An' he said 'twas very jolly to be dry nursed in a tent	X
An' he reckoned that the Christmas was the best he'd ever spent	X
He would talk of 'ome and Inglan' when 'is head began ter swim	G
But he never blamed the country that had been so 'ard on him	G
	-
He would say I like the country if a feller's blind er halt	Y
Or if he's got konsumption why it ain't the country's fault	Y
The tea that's boil'd in billies is far sweeter stuff I know	N
Than the cursed drink w'at blasted all my chances long ago	N
I would hev cum out sooner if it was my destiny	G
An' I daresay that the country would have made a man ov me	G
But w'at's the good ov energy an' wat's the good er 'push'	I
W'en a feller's sick an' dyin' in a gunyah in the bush	I
	-
But he tole me all about it as I sat beside 'is bunk	N
How he'd spent 'is tin in Melbourne an' was allers gettin' drunk	N
How he thort he'd take it easy while he had a little gold	Z
And before he turned the new leaf how he scribbled on the old	Z
An' among a lot ov nonsense w'en 'is mind began to drift	A2
He told me that the new leaf was a heavy leaf to lift	A2
But w'ats the good er writin' this it's nothin' very new	B2
The land will see enough ov it an' suffer for it too	B2
An' he said w'en he was dying when his lung was spit away	R
An' we all was standin' round 'im in the gunyah where he lay	R
An' he said I've watched the sunset when the wind began to 'woosh'	I
Like a layer ov coals a glowin' on the dark bed ov the bush	I
An' I felt my fingers slippin' slippin' slowly from the ropes	A
Wen the West was cold like ashes like the ashes of my hopes	A
An' I Sit beside me Peter let me 'old a bushman's hand	D
For I'm gorn to 'ump my bluey through the gates ov Newchumland	D

Henry Lawson

Possum - A Lay Of Newchumland Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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