The Grog-an'grumble Steeplechase Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCD CECEFGHG CICIFJFJ HKHKALAL EJEJMNMN OPOPQRQR| 'Twixt the coastline and the border lay the town of Grog an' Grumble | A |
| In the days before the bushman was a dull 'n' heartless drudge | B |
| An' they say the local meeting was a drunken rough and tumble | A |
| Which was ended pretty often by an inquest on the judge | B |
| An' 'tis said the city talent very often caught a tartar | C |
| In the Grog an' Grumble sportsman 'n' returned with broken heads | D |
| For the fortune life and safety of the Grog an' Grumble starter | C |
| Mostly hung upon the finish of the local thoroughbreds | D |
| - | |
| Pat M'Durmer was the owner of a horse they called the Screamer | C |
| Which he called the quickest stepper 'twixt the Darling and the sea | E |
| And I think it's very doubtful if the stomach troubled dreamer | C |
| Ever saw a more outrageous piece of equine scenery | E |
| For his points were most decided from his end to his beginning | F |
| He had eyes of different colour and his legs they wasn't mates | G |
| Pat M'Durmer said he always came widin a flip of winnin' | H |
| An' his sire had come from England 'n' his dam was from the States | G |
| - | |
| Friends would argue with M'Durmer and they said he was in error | C |
| To put up his horse the Screamer for he'd lose in any case | I |
| And they said a city racer by the name of Holy Terror | C |
| Was regarded as the winner of the coming steeplechase | I |
| But he said he had the knowledge to come in when it was raining | F |
| And irrevelantly mentioned that he knew the time of day | J |
| So he rose in their opinion It was noticed that the training | F |
| Of the Screamer was conducted in a dark mysterious way | J |
| - | |
| Well the day arrived in glory 'twas a day of jubilation | H |
| With careless hearted bushmen for a hundred miles around | K |
| An' the rum 'n' beer 'n' whisky came in waggons from the station | H |
| An' the Holy Terror talent were the first upon the ground | K |
| Judge M'Ard with whose opinion it was scarcely safe to wrestle | A |
| Took his dangerous position on the bark and sapling stand | L |
| He was what the local Stiggins used to speak of as a wessel | A |
| Of wrath and he'd a bludgeon that he carried in his hand | L |
| - | |
| Off ye go the starter shouted as down fell a stupid jockey | E |
| Off they started in disorder left the jockey where he lay | J |
| And they fell and rolled and galloped down the crooked course and rocky | E |
| Till the pumping of the Screamer could be heard a mile away | J |
| But he kept his legs and galloped he was used to rugged courses | M |
| And he lumbered down the gully till the ridge began to quake | N |
| And he ploughed along the siding raising earth till other horses | M |
| An' their riders too were blinded by the dust cloud in his wake | N |
| - | |
| From the ruck he'd struggled slowly they were much surprised to find him | O |
| Close abeam of the Holy Terror as along the flat they tore | P |
| Even higher still and denser rose the cloud of dust behind him | O |
| While in more divided splinters flew the shattered rails before | P |
| Terror Dead heat they were shouting Terror but the Screamer hung out | Q |
| Nose to nose with Holy Terror as across the creek they swung | R |
| An' M'Durmer shouted loudly Put yer toungue out put yer tongue out | Q |
| An ' the Screamer put his tongue out and he won by half a tongue | R |
Henry Lawson
(1)
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