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Fur And Feathers

The emus formed a football team
Up Walgett way;
Their dark-brown sweaters were a dream
But kangaroos would sit and scream
To watch them play.

"Now, butterfingers," they would call,
And such-like names;
The emus couldn't hold the ball
- They had no hands - but hands aren't all
In football games.

A match against the kangaroos
They played one day.
The kangaroos were forced to choose
Some wallabies and wallaroos
That played in grey.

The rules that in the West prevail
Would shock the town;
For when a kangaroo set sail
An emu jumped upon his tail
And fetched him down.

A whistler duck as referee
Was not admired.
He whistled so incessantly
The teams rebelled, and up a tree
He soon retired.

The old marsupial captain said,
"It's do or die!"
So down the ground like fire he fled
And leaped above an emu's head
And scored a try.

Then shouting, "Keep it on the toes!"
The emus came.
Fierce as the flooded Bogan flows
They laid their foemen out in rows
And saved the game.

On native pear and Darling pea
They dined that night:
But one man was an absentee:
The whistler duck - their referee -
Had taken flight.

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Comments


  • rufina caraid Moderators member
    December 9, 2007
    Edit | Reply
    Banjo wrote so many times about our unique Australian Animals which I have enjoyed but this is one poem I don't particularly like. The rhyming scheme seems unco-ordinated and unlike so many of his other poetic works it doesn't have an easy-going rhythm to follow.
    Sorry Banjo, but 99% from 100% isn't too bad a result at all.

    Von

  • nes45
    March 23, 2006
    Edit | Reply

    Very good!

    All people should read this. My child chose it for her poetry contest. Very good!