Frank Halliwell's Poetry - Page 4
LET'S HEAR IT FOR CHOLESTEROL
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Coffee will keep you awake, so they say
And it's not any good for your heart.
From creamy desserts you must also abstain,
Or this life you may quickly depart!
Breakfast of bacon and eggs is unwise
And that hot buttered toast is taboo!
Nicotine calms you when you get uptight
But it fills up your lungs with black goo!
And though Roman Legions were paid off in salt.
My doc shakes his head in dismay
At any suggestion my intake of salt
Should be more than a few grains a day
It will raise your blood pressure, unless you refrain
And put extra strain on your pump,
Your ticker may fail you if you ignore this,
For salty food makes you a chump!
Watch starches and sugars in cookies and cakes
That will put inches more on your span!
Avoid greasy chips too, for they will give you
A profile like the Michelin man.
Everyone has one weakness that's hard to resist,
But ONE tempts both human and beast,
For the Lure-Universal of Chocolate is crammed
With those fats that will make us obese!
'Cholesterol' frightens; a name to be feared
By most men alas and alack,
But if I discovered they sold it in stores,
I'd buy it wholesale by the sack!
Tis true, all the things that I like, it appears,
Will likely short-change my career!
But begone you nay-sayers! I'll eat what I like,
And I'll enjoy the time that I'm here!
Back to the top of this page.
Suspicions
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Ho, ho, ho, Ol' Santa shouted
In the middle of July,
'Twas greetings from across the sea
That somehow went awry!
I found the file on my machine,
I can't remember when,
And didn't know what it contained,
...From enemy or friend?
I put it in a special file
Marked "SUSPECT"!..It's a shame,
For I knew not who had sent it,
Nor indeed from whence it came!
It could have been a nasty worm,
Or yet a Trojan Horse!
..Files opened with a lack of care,
Can lead to great remorse!
And many folks have come to grief!
...There will be many more,
For there are nasties on the net,
And viruses galore!
I got a "Round Tuit" to-day
They're very seldom seen!
My virus checker had a look
And said the file was clean.
So if you send me greetings friend
Pure text will keep me calm,
Or else you might identify
The EXE or COM!
And then I'll know they're not something
Appearances belie,
And I won't have to celebrate
My Christmas in July!
The Evil Net
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The world is going to the dogs
It's obvious to me,
With drugs and murders everyday
And frequent robbery
No one is safe out on the street
Especially alone,
And obscene calls are often heard
When you pick up the phone!
A man's home was his castle once
Secure and sacrosanct,
But now its just another place,
As unsafe as a bank!
That evil Internet's the cause
I read last Saturday!
I guess they'll have to censor it,
There seems no other way!
I don't know how we'll ever stop
The smut from near and far,
And all that porn that I see nightly
On my VCR.
Back to the top of this page.
The Spirit of the Lake
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The herald of the dawn glows faintly in the eastern sky
A lonely Loon is softly calling me.
From far out on the sleeping lake, I hear the haunting cry,
And hear the echoes race from tree to tree.
And down below the mirror that reflects that morning sky
The hungry pike and pickerel lie in wait,
For a small, unwary breakfast, that might come swimming by
Not suspecting the impending hand of fate!
Across the shining surface drifts the flimsy, misty shawl
That will vanish as the day begins to break.
The slumbering world is stirring now in answer to the call
Of the lonesome Loon, ..the Spirit of the Lake.
But that was sixty years ago I heard that soulful bird,
Most daydreams fade so quickly when you wake,
But this one stays as vivid as the first day that I heard
That sad lament out on the darkened lake!
I made my choices years ago to seek a place unseen
Where blighted life might be renewed for me,
A land beneath the waving palms, where snow is never seen,
Just golden beaches and the bright blue sea.
The tang of spruce and cedar are but distant memories
Held in a place that's known at times to ache,
And even yet, ten thousand miles across the trackless sea,
He calls me still, ..The Spirit of the Lake.
o0o
Back to the top of this page.
S T E A D F A S T
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
I feel a need for something else
To fill this empty place.
I sometimes feel that human urge
To share a warm embrace.
I need an earnest listener
To share my poetry,
A safe harbour to shelter from
The cold unfriendly sea.
I need a tender hand to nudge me
Gently on my way
To do those things I might avoid
That should be done to-day.
Were I a generous businessman
I'm sure I'd find my match,
And half the ladies in the world
Would find me a great catch...
But I have not the lure of wealth
To tempt my lady fair,
To buy her rings of gold and
Jewelled tiaras for her hair.
The profile of a Grecian God
Might well evoke her sighs,
But even that would not be me,
I fear that I'm no prize!
But still, I need not ever fear
That I must walk alone,
For always, one walks by my side,
The truest love I've known.
A pure and undemanding love
That sees no flaws in me.
A changeless love, as constant
As the wide and endless sea.
For this is one who loves me with
A silent dialog.
The love shines from those deep brown eyes.
My friend, my faithful dog!
o0o
Back to the top of this page.
B R E T H R E N
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The boat tossed like a matchstick
Those aboard were sick with fright.
The sudden storm blew savagely
And raged all through the night!
When it abated with the dawn
All help was out of reach.
The boat was stuck fast on a rock
A mile out from the beach.
And all aboard had broken bones
And other injuries,
So it was obvious that help
Was needed urgently.
Between the boat and that far shore
Swam hungry sharks in hordes.
Just three people uninjured now
Of all the folks aboard.
"Someone will have to swim ashore
Or all of us may die!
And all of us are sorely hurt!
One of you three must try!"
The first was Doctor B. Badger
The man from Texas Health,
"But I must stay!" said Dr.B,
And nurse these folks to health!
The next was Sister Sullivan
Who'd love to do the deed.
But must minister to the sick
"The last rites, some may need!"
The last man was resplendent
In his Armani suit
The lawyer put his briefcase down
And sighted out his route.
"No problem!", quoth the counsellor
"But there WILL be a fee!"
He clutched his briefcase in his hand
And leapt into the sea.
The water roiled and seethed and boiled
Then settled with a roar!
The sharks were lined up in neat rows
To guide him to the shore!
Begorrah, 'tis a miracle
Said Miss Mary, "Glory be!"
Oh, no! 'Tis not a miracle-
Just professional courtesy!
o0o
F R U S T R A T I O N
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
She spun her web with utmost care
Each strand precise and neat.
Painstaking hours of work were spent
On her exquisite feat!
That flawless web was brushed away
Without a thought or care
The creation of endless hours
Was in an instant, bare!
Time and again the spider toiled
To build her web in vain!
Each time the web was swept away
Each time she found but pain.
The spider has a thankless task
Against the whims of fate!
I know exactly how she feels
....With Windows 98!
o0o
M I L L E N N I U M
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The year two thousand almost gone, our world is confident,
The dreaded menace, Y2K has been a non-event!
We blunder on, as man has always blundered in the past,
Treating our heritage with scorn while others watch, aghast!
The Ozone layer has all but gone, much to no one's surprise,
And deadly radiation streams down on us from the skies!
The frozen ice at both the poles is all melting away,
And people of the south sea isles are just the first to pay!
Our fellow creatures on this Earth, we've driven to the brink,
A quarter of the animals that were, are now extinct!
We've stripped the planet without thought of far more than we need!
And placed ourselves in jeopardy through thoughtlessness and greed!
We never owned the planet, but were merely the trustee
And rampages of storm and flood were plain for all to see
All mankind knew the reason that our world had gone awry,
But it was not our fault of course, it was the other guy!
And so, one day it came to pass, one early Sunday morn...
The time for sunrise came and went, no new day had been born!
Somewhere an audit had been done, and man had come up short!
Our stewardship called to account in one final report.
We huddled in the missing dawn, and gazed up at the sky,
A grim sense of finality, but no one wondered why!
For man had earned his destiny, of this there was no doubt,
And high above us, one by one, the stars were blinking out.
o0o
H E R I T A G E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Look around us at this dismal
Monument to human pride.
Vegetation stripped and wasted,
Future riches thrown aside,
Once this land was all rich jungle
Rampant growth on every hand
Home to hundreds of wild creatures,
Buffalo and sleek Eland..
And the Monarch of this forest
Was a cat of grace and might,
And his striped coat glowed alternately
With noon and blackest night!
Keen of eye, and swift and certain
In pursuit when quarry runs,
They were brave majestic hunters,
But no match for shooter's guns.
Hunted down for love of killing,
For his coat; a souvenir
For the bored, a moment's thrilling
To be toasted with a beer.
One day you can tell your children
How men wouldn't take a stand,
When the forests brushed these heavens,
And the Tiger walked this land.
o0o
THE MELBOURNE CUP
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The race that stops a nation's work is done for one more year.
The winners count their winnings and the losers shed a tear.
The owners and the trainers of the winner glow with pride,
That their horse was the first one past the post in that long ride.
But there was one, another horse that led for half the race,
With that big field strung out behind he set a flashing pace,
But though he had the will to win, he didn't have the breath,
Driven beyond capacity, they ran him to his death!
The world enjoys a spectacle; the men in silk cravats,
The women sipping pink champagne; dressed up in silly hats,
Can no one see the cruelty inherent in that ride?
With twenty gallant horses whipped at every single stride.
I sometimes wonder in this land purported to be free,
Why people only see the things they really want to see!
And why year after year they all continue to support,
The cruelty embedded in this nation's favourite "sport"!
o0o
P A R A B L E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
If you come upon a hungry man just sitting on the shore,
Considering his lot with great dismay,
And if you give that man a fish, his hunger to assuage,
Your gift of fish will feed him for a day.
But if you share the fisher's craft by teaching him the skills,
You'll fill his life with happiness and cheer...
He'll find life's purpose and he'll keep that gift for all his life,
As he spends each day in his boat drinking beer.
o0o
Back to the top of this page.
The herald of the dawn glows faintly in the eastern sky
A lonely Loon is softly calling me.
From far out on the sleeping lake, I hear the haunting cry,
And hear the echoes race from tree to tree.
And down below the mirror that reflects that morning sky
The hungry pike and pickerel lie in wait,
For a small, unwary breakfast, that might come swimming by
Not suspecting the impending hand of fate!
Across the shining surface drifts the flimsy, misty shawl
That will vanish as the day begins to break.
The slumbering world is stirring now in answer to the call
Of the lonesome Loon, ..the Spirit of the Lake.
But that was sixty years ago I heard that soulful bird,
Most daydreams fade so quickly when you wake,
But this one stays as vivid as the first day that I heard
That sad lament out on the darkened lake!
I made my choices years ago to seek a place unseen
Where blighted life might be renewed for me,
A land beneath the waving palms, where snow is never seen,
Just golden beaches and the bright blue sea.
The tang of spruce and cedar are but distant memories
Held in a place that's known at times to ache,
And even yet, ten thousand miles across the trackless sea,
He calls me still, ..The Spirit of the Lake.
Back to the top of this page.
S T E A D F A S T
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
I feel a need for something else
To fill this empty place.
I sometimes feel that human urge
To share a warm embrace.
I need an earnest listener
To share my poetry,
A safe harbour to shelter from
The cold unfriendly sea.
I need a tender hand to nudge me
Gently on my way
To do those things I might avoid
That should be done to-day.
Were I a generous businessman
I'm sure I'd find my match,
And half the ladies in the world
Would find me a great catch...
But I have not the lure of wealth
To tempt my lady fair,
To buy her rings of gold and
Jewelled tiaras for her hair.
The profile of a Grecian God
Might well evoke her sighs,
But even that would not be me,
I fear that I'm no prize!
But still, I need not ever fear
That I must walk alone,
For always, one walks by my side,
The truest love I've known.
A pure and undemanding love
That sees no flaws in me.
A changeless love, as constant
As the wide and endless sea.
For this is one who loves me with
A silent dialog.
The love shines from those deep brown eyes.
My friend, my faithful dog!
o0o
Back to the top of this page.
B R E T H R E N
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The boat tossed like a matchstick
Those aboard were sick with fright.
The sudden storm blew savagely
And raged all through the night!
When it abated with the dawn
All help was out of reach.
The boat was stuck fast on a rock
A mile out from the beach.
And all aboard had broken bones
And other injuries,
So it was obvious that help
Was needed urgently.
Between the boat and that far shore
Swam hungry sharks in hordes.
Just three people uninjured now
Of all the folks aboard.
"Someone will have to swim ashore
Or all of us may die!
And all of us are sorely hurt!
One of you three must try!"
The first was Doctor B. Badger
The man from Texas Health,
"But I must stay!" said Dr.B,
And nurse these folks to health!
The next was Sister Sullivan
Who'd love to do the deed.
But must minister to the sick
"The last rites, some may need!"
The last man was resplendent
In his Armani suit
The lawyer put his briefcase down
And sighted out his route.
"No problem!", quoth the counsellor
"But there WILL be a fee!"
He clutched his briefcase in his hand
And leapt into the sea.
The water roiled and seethed and boiled
Then settled with a roar!
The sharks were lined up in neat rows
To guide him to the shore!
Begorrah, 'tis a miracle
Said Miss Mary, "Glory be!"
Oh, no! 'Tis not a miracle-
Just professional courtesy!
o0o
F R U S T R A T I O N
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
She spun her web with utmost care
Each strand precise and neat.
Painstaking hours of work were spent
On her exquisite feat!
That flawless web was brushed away
Without a thought or care
The creation of endless hours
Was in an instant, bare!
Time and again the spider toiled
To build her web in vain!
Each time the web was swept away
Each time she found but pain.
The spider has a thankless task
Against the whims of fate!
I know exactly how she feels
....With Windows 98!
o0o
M I L L E N N I U M
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The year two thousand almost gone, our world is confident,
The dreaded menace, Y2K has been a non-event!
We blunder on, as man has always blundered in the past,
Treating our heritage with scorn while others watch, aghast!
The Ozone layer has all but gone, much to no one's surprise,
And deadly radiation streams down on us from the skies!
The frozen ice at both the poles is all melting away,
And people of the south sea isles are just the first to pay!
Our fellow creatures on this Earth, we've driven to the brink,
A quarter of the animals that were, are now extinct!
We've stripped the planet without thought of far more than we need!
And placed ourselves in jeopardy through thoughtlessness and greed!
We never owned the planet, but were merely the trustee
And rampages of storm and flood were plain for all to see
All mankind knew the reason that our world had gone awry,
But it was not our fault of course, it was the other guy!
And so, one day it came to pass, one early Sunday morn...
The time for sunrise came and went, no new day had been born!
Somewhere an audit had been done, and man had come up short!
Our stewardship called to account in one final report.
We huddled in the missing dawn, and gazed up at the sky,
A grim sense of finality, but no one wondered why!
For man had earned his destiny, of this there was no doubt,
And high above us, one by one, the stars were blinking out.
o0o
H E R I T A G E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Look around us at this dismal
Monument to human pride.
Vegetation stripped and wasted,
Future riches thrown aside,
Once this land was all rich jungle
Rampant growth on every hand
Home to hundreds of wild creatures,
Buffalo and sleek Eland..
And the Monarch of this forest
Was a cat of grace and might,
And his striped coat glowed alternately
With noon and blackest night!
Keen of eye, and swift and certain
In pursuit when quarry runs,
They were brave majestic hunters,
But no match for shooter's guns.
Hunted down for love of killing,
For his coat; a souvenir
For the bored, a moment's thrilling
To be toasted with a beer.
One day you can tell your children
How men wouldn't take a stand,
When the forests brushed these heavens,
And the Tiger walked this land.
o0o
THE MELBOURNE CUP
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The race that stops a nation's work is done for one more year.
The winners count their winnings and the losers shed a tear.
The owners and the trainers of the winner glow with pride,
That their horse was the first one past the post in that long ride.
But there was one, another horse that led for half the race,
With that big field strung out behind he set a flashing pace,
But though he had the will to win, he didn't have the breath,
Driven beyond capacity, they ran him to his death!
The world enjoys a spectacle; the men in silk cravats,
The women sipping pink champagne; dressed up in silly hats,
Can no one see the cruelty inherent in that ride?
With twenty gallant horses whipped at every single stride.
I sometimes wonder in this land purported to be free,
Why people only see the things they really want to see!
And why year after year they all continue to support,
The cruelty embedded in this nation's favourite "sport"!
o0o
P A R A B L E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
If you come upon a hungry man just sitting on the shore,
Considering his lot with great dismay,
And if you give that man a fish, his hunger to assuage,
Your gift of fish will feed him for a day.
But if you share the fisher's craft by teaching him the skills,
You'll fill his life with happiness and cheer...
He'll find life's purpose and he'll keep that gift for all his life,
As he spends each day in his boat drinking beer.
o0o
Back to the top of this page.
I feel a need for something else
To fill this empty place.
I sometimes feel that human urge
To share a warm embrace.
I need an earnest listener
To share my poetry,
A safe harbour to shelter from
The cold unfriendly sea.
I need a tender hand to nudge me
Gently on my way
To do those things I might avoid
That should be done to-day.
Were I a generous businessman
I'm sure I'd find my match,
And half the ladies in the world
Would find me a great catch...
But I have not the lure of wealth
To tempt my lady fair,
To buy her rings of gold and
Jewelled tiaras for her hair.
The profile of a Grecian God
Might well evoke her sighs,
But even that would not be me,
I fear that I'm no prize!
But still, I need not ever fear
That I must walk alone,
For always, one walks by my side,
The truest love I've known.
A pure and undemanding love
That sees no flaws in me.
A changeless love, as constant
As the wide and endless sea.
For this is one who loves me with
A silent dialog.
The love shines from those deep brown eyes.
My friend, my faithful dog!
Back to the top of this page.
B R E T H R E N
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The boat tossed like a matchstick
Those aboard were sick with fright.
The sudden storm blew savagely
And raged all through the night!
When it abated with the dawn
All help was out of reach.
The boat was stuck fast on a rock
A mile out from the beach.
And all aboard had broken bones
And other injuries,
So it was obvious that help
Was needed urgently.
Between the boat and that far shore
Swam hungry sharks in hordes.
Just three people uninjured now
Of all the folks aboard.
"Someone will have to swim ashore
Or all of us may die!
And all of us are sorely hurt!
One of you three must try!"
The first was Doctor B. Badger
The man from Texas Health,
"But I must stay!" said Dr.B,
And nurse these folks to health!
The next was Sister Sullivan
Who'd love to do the deed.
But must minister to the sick
"The last rites, some may need!"
The last man was resplendent
In his Armani suit
The lawyer put his briefcase down
And sighted out his route.
"No problem!", quoth the counsellor
"But there WILL be a fee!"
He clutched his briefcase in his hand
And leapt into the sea.
The water roiled and seethed and boiled
Then settled with a roar!
The sharks were lined up in neat rows
To guide him to the shore!
Begorrah, 'tis a miracle
Said Miss Mary, "Glory be!"
Oh, no! 'Tis not a miracle-
Just professional courtesy!
o0o
F R U S T R A T I O N
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
She spun her web with utmost care
Each strand precise and neat.
Painstaking hours of work were spent
On her exquisite feat!
That flawless web was brushed away
Without a thought or care
The creation of endless hours
Was in an instant, bare!
Time and again the spider toiled
To build her web in vain!
Each time the web was swept away
Each time she found but pain.
The spider has a thankless task
Against the whims of fate!
I know exactly how she feels
....With Windows 98!
o0o
M I L L E N N I U M
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The year two thousand almost gone, our world is confident,
The dreaded menace, Y2K has been a non-event!
We blunder on, as man has always blundered in the past,
Treating our heritage with scorn while others watch, aghast!
The Ozone layer has all but gone, much to no one's surprise,
And deadly radiation streams down on us from the skies!
The frozen ice at both the poles is all melting away,
And people of the south sea isles are just the first to pay!
Our fellow creatures on this Earth, we've driven to the brink,
A quarter of the animals that were, are now extinct!
We've stripped the planet without thought of far more than we need!
And placed ourselves in jeopardy through thoughtlessness and greed!
We never owned the planet, but were merely the trustee
And rampages of storm and flood were plain for all to see
All mankind knew the reason that our world had gone awry,
But it was not our fault of course, it was the other guy!
And so, one day it came to pass, one early Sunday morn...
The time for sunrise came and went, no new day had been born!
Somewhere an audit had been done, and man had come up short!
Our stewardship called to account in one final report.
We huddled in the missing dawn, and gazed up at the sky,
A grim sense of finality, but no one wondered why!
For man had earned his destiny, of this there was no doubt,
And high above us, one by one, the stars were blinking out.
o0o
H E R I T A G E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Look around us at this dismal
Monument to human pride.
Vegetation stripped and wasted,
Future riches thrown aside,
Once this land was all rich jungle
Rampant growth on every hand
Home to hundreds of wild creatures,
Buffalo and sleek Eland..
And the Monarch of this forest
Was a cat of grace and might,
And his striped coat glowed alternately
With noon and blackest night!
Keen of eye, and swift and certain
In pursuit when quarry runs,
They were brave majestic hunters,
But no match for shooter's guns.
Hunted down for love of killing,
For his coat; a souvenir
For the bored, a moment's thrilling
To be toasted with a beer.
One day you can tell your children
How men wouldn't take a stand,
When the forests brushed these heavens,
And the Tiger walked this land.
o0o
THE MELBOURNE CUP
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The race that stops a nation's work is done for one more year.
The winners count their winnings and the losers shed a tear.
The owners and the trainers of the winner glow with pride,
That their horse was the first one past the post in that long ride.
But there was one, another horse that led for half the race,
With that big field strung out behind he set a flashing pace,
But though he had the will to win, he didn't have the breath,
Driven beyond capacity, they ran him to his death!
The world enjoys a spectacle; the men in silk cravats,
The women sipping pink champagne; dressed up in silly hats,
Can no one see the cruelty inherent in that ride?
With twenty gallant horses whipped at every single stride.
I sometimes wonder in this land purported to be free,
Why people only see the things they really want to see!
And why year after year they all continue to support,
The cruelty embedded in this nation's favourite "sport"!
o0o
P A R A B L E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
If you come upon a hungry man just sitting on the shore,
Considering his lot with great dismay,
And if you give that man a fish, his hunger to assuage,
Your gift of fish will feed him for a day.
But if you share the fisher's craft by teaching him the skills,
You'll fill his life with happiness and cheer...
He'll find life's purpose and he'll keep that gift for all his life,
As he spends each day in his boat drinking beer.
o0o
Back to the top of this page.
The boat tossed like a matchstick
Those aboard were sick with fright.
The sudden storm blew savagely
And raged all through the night!
When it abated with the dawn
All help was out of reach.
The boat was stuck fast on a rock
A mile out from the beach.
And all aboard had broken bones
And other injuries,
So it was obvious that help
Was needed urgently.
Between the boat and that far shore
Swam hungry sharks in hordes.
Just three people uninjured now
Of all the folks aboard.
"Someone will have to swim ashore
Or all of us may die!
And all of us are sorely hurt!
One of you three must try!"
The first was Doctor B. Badger
The man from Texas Health,
"But I must stay!" said Dr.B,
And nurse these folks to health!
The next was Sister Sullivan
Who'd love to do the deed.
But must minister to the sick
"The last rites, some may need!"
The last man was resplendent
In his Armani suit
The lawyer put his briefcase down
And sighted out his route.
"No problem!", quoth the counsellor
"But there WILL be a fee!"
He clutched his briefcase in his hand
And leapt into the sea.
The water roiled and seethed and boiled
Then settled with a roar!
The sharks were lined up in neat rows
To guide him to the shore!
Begorrah, 'tis a miracle
Said Miss Mary, "Glory be!"
Oh, no! 'Tis not a miracle-
Just professional courtesy!
o0o
F R U S T R A T I O N
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
She spun her web with utmost care
Each strand precise and neat.
Painstaking hours of work were spent
On her exquisite feat!
That flawless web was brushed away
Without a thought or care
The creation of endless hours
Was in an instant, bare!
Time and again the spider toiled
To build her web in vain!
Each time the web was swept away
Each time she found but pain.
The spider has a thankless task
Against the whims of fate!
I know exactly how she feels
....With Windows 98!
o0o
M I L L E N N I U M
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The year two thousand almost gone, our world is confident,
The dreaded menace, Y2K has been a non-event!
We blunder on, as man has always blundered in the past,
Treating our heritage with scorn while others watch, aghast!
The Ozone layer has all but gone, much to no one's surprise,
And deadly radiation streams down on us from the skies!
The frozen ice at both the poles is all melting away,
And people of the south sea isles are just the first to pay!
Our fellow creatures on this Earth, we've driven to the brink,
A quarter of the animals that were, are now extinct!
We've stripped the planet without thought of far more than we need!
And placed ourselves in jeopardy through thoughtlessness and greed!
We never owned the planet, but were merely the trustee
And rampages of storm and flood were plain for all to see
All mankind knew the reason that our world had gone awry,
But it was not our fault of course, it was the other guy!
And so, one day it came to pass, one early Sunday morn...
The time for sunrise came and went, no new day had been born!
Somewhere an audit had been done, and man had come up short!
Our stewardship called to account in one final report.
We huddled in the missing dawn, and gazed up at the sky,
A grim sense of finality, but no one wondered why!
For man had earned his destiny, of this there was no doubt,
And high above us, one by one, the stars were blinking out.
o0o
H E R I T A G E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Look around us at this dismal
Monument to human pride.
Vegetation stripped and wasted,
Future riches thrown aside,
Once this land was all rich jungle
Rampant growth on every hand
Home to hundreds of wild creatures,
Buffalo and sleek Eland..
And the Monarch of this forest
Was a cat of grace and might,
And his striped coat glowed alternately
With noon and blackest night!
Keen of eye, and swift and certain
In pursuit when quarry runs,
They were brave majestic hunters,
But no match for shooter's guns.
Hunted down for love of killing,
For his coat; a souvenir
For the bored, a moment's thrilling
To be toasted with a beer.
One day you can tell your children
How men wouldn't take a stand,
When the forests brushed these heavens,
And the Tiger walked this land.
o0o
THE MELBOURNE CUP
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The race that stops a nation's work is done for one more year.
The winners count their winnings and the losers shed a tear.
The owners and the trainers of the winner glow with pride,
That their horse was the first one past the post in that long ride.
But there was one, another horse that led for half the race,
With that big field strung out behind he set a flashing pace,
But though he had the will to win, he didn't have the breath,
Driven beyond capacity, they ran him to his death!
The world enjoys a spectacle; the men in silk cravats,
The women sipping pink champagne; dressed up in silly hats,
Can no one see the cruelty inherent in that ride?
With twenty gallant horses whipped at every single stride.
I sometimes wonder in this land purported to be free,
Why people only see the things they really want to see!
And why year after year they all continue to support,
The cruelty embedded in this nation's favourite "sport"!
o0o
P A R A B L E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
If you come upon a hungry man just sitting on the shore,
Considering his lot with great dismay,
And if you give that man a fish, his hunger to assuage,
Your gift of fish will feed him for a day.
But if you share the fisher's craft by teaching him the skills,
You'll fill his life with happiness and cheer...
He'll find life's purpose and he'll keep that gift for all his life,
As he spends each day in his boat drinking beer.
o0o
Back to the top of this page.
She spun her web with utmost care
Each strand precise and neat.
Painstaking hours of work were spent
On her exquisite feat!
That flawless web was brushed away
Without a thought or care
The creation of endless hours
Was in an instant, bare!
Time and again the spider toiled
To build her web in vain!
Each time the web was swept away
Each time she found but pain.
The spider has a thankless task
Against the whims of fate!
I know exactly how she feels
....With Windows 98!
o0o
M I L L E N N I U M
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The year two thousand almost gone, our world is confident,
The dreaded menace, Y2K has been a non-event!
We blunder on, as man has always blundered in the past,
Treating our heritage with scorn while others watch, aghast!
The Ozone layer has all but gone, much to no one's surprise,
And deadly radiation streams down on us from the skies!
The frozen ice at both the poles is all melting away,
And people of the south sea isles are just the first to pay!
Our fellow creatures on this Earth, we've driven to the brink,
A quarter of the animals that were, are now extinct!
We've stripped the planet without thought of far more than we need!
And placed ourselves in jeopardy through thoughtlessness and greed!
We never owned the planet, but were merely the trustee
And rampages of storm and flood were plain for all to see
All mankind knew the reason that our world had gone awry,
But it was not our fault of course, it was the other guy!
And so, one day it came to pass, one early Sunday morn...
The time for sunrise came and went, no new day had been born!
Somewhere an audit had been done, and man had come up short!
Our stewardship called to account in one final report.
We huddled in the missing dawn, and gazed up at the sky,
A grim sense of finality, but no one wondered why!
For man had earned his destiny, of this there was no doubt,
And high above us, one by one, the stars were blinking out.
o0o
The year two thousand almost gone, our world is confident,
The dreaded menace, Y2K has been a non-event!
We blunder on, as man has always blundered in the past,
Treating our heritage with scorn while others watch, aghast!
The Ozone layer has all but gone, much to no one's surprise,
And deadly radiation streams down on us from the skies!
The frozen ice at both the poles is all melting away,
And people of the south sea isles are just the first to pay!
Our fellow creatures on this Earth, we've driven to the brink,
A quarter of the animals that were, are now extinct!
We've stripped the planet without thought of far more than we need!
And placed ourselves in jeopardy through thoughtlessness and greed!
We never owned the planet, but were merely the trustee
And rampages of storm and flood were plain for all to see
All mankind knew the reason that our world had gone awry,
But it was not our fault of course, it was the other guy!
And so, one day it came to pass, one early Sunday morn...
The time for sunrise came and went, no new day had been born!
Somewhere an audit had been done, and man had come up short!
Our stewardship called to account in one final report.
We huddled in the missing dawn, and gazed up at the sky,
A grim sense of finality, but no one wondered why!
For man had earned his destiny, of this there was no doubt,
And high above us, one by one, the stars were blinking out.
o0o
H E R I T A G E
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
Look around us at this dismal
Monument to human pride.
Vegetation stripped and wasted,
Future riches thrown aside,
Once this land was all rich jungle
Rampant growth on every hand
Home to hundreds of wild creatures,
Buffalo and sleek Eland..
And the Monarch of this forest
Was a cat of grace and might,
And his striped coat glowed alternately
With noon and blackest night!
Keen of eye, and swift and certain
In pursuit when quarry runs,
They were brave majestic hunters,
But no match for shooter's guns.
Hunted down for love of killing,
For his coat; a souvenir
For the bored, a moment's thrilling
To be toasted with a beer.
One day you can tell your children
How men wouldn't take a stand,
When the forests brushed these heavens,
And the Tiger walked this land.
o0o
THE MELBOURNE CUP
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The race that stops a nation's work is done for one more year.
The winners count their winnings and the losers shed a tear.
The owners and the trainers of the winner glow with pride,
That their horse was the first one past the post in that long ride.
But there was one, another horse that led for half the race,
With that big field strung out behind he set a flashing pace,
But though he had the will to win, he didn't have the breath,
Driven beyond capacity, they ran him to his death!
The world enjoys a spectacle; the men in silk cravats,
The women sipping pink champagne; dressed up in silly hats,
Can no one see the cruelty inherent in that ride?
With twenty gallant horses whipped at every single stride.
I sometimes wonder in this land purported to be free,
Why people only see the things they really want to see!
And why year after year they all continue to support,
The cruelty embedded in this nation's favourite "sport"!
o0o
P A R A B L E
by Frank Halliwell ..
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
If you come upon a hungry man just sitting on the shore,
Considering his lot with great dismay,
And if you give that man a fish, his hunger to assuage,
Your gift of fish will feed him for a day.
But if you share the fisher's craft by teaching him the skills,
You'll fill his life with happiness and cheer...
He'll find life's purpose and he'll keep that gift for all his life,
As he spends each day in his boat drinking beer.
o0o
Back to the top of this page.
Look around us at this dismal
Monument to human pride.
Vegetation stripped and wasted,
Future riches thrown aside,
Once this land was all rich jungle
Rampant growth on every hand
Home to hundreds of wild creatures,
Buffalo and sleek Eland..
And the Monarch of this forest
Was a cat of grace and might,
And his striped coat glowed alternately
With noon and blackest night!
Keen of eye, and swift and certain
In pursuit when quarry runs,
They were brave majestic hunters,
But no match for shooter's guns.
Hunted down for love of killing,
For his coat; a souvenir
For the bored, a moment's thrilling
To be toasted with a beer.
One day you can tell your children
How men wouldn't take a stand,
When the forests brushed these heavens,
And the Tiger walked this land.
o0o
THE MELBOURNE CUP
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
The race that stops a nation's work is done for one more year.
The winners count their winnings and the losers shed a tear.
The owners and the trainers of the winner glow with pride,
That their horse was the first one past the post in that long ride.
But there was one, another horse that led for half the race,
With that big field strung out behind he set a flashing pace,
But though he had the will to win, he didn't have the breath,
Driven beyond capacity, they ran him to his death!
The world enjoys a spectacle; the men in silk cravats,
The women sipping pink champagne; dressed up in silly hats,
Can no one see the cruelty inherent in that ride?
With twenty gallant horses whipped at every single stride.
I sometimes wonder in this land purported to be free,
Why people only see the things they really want to see!
And why year after year they all continue to support,
The cruelty embedded in this nation's favourite "sport"!
o0o
P A R A B L E
Jimboomba, Australia
Public Domain
If you come upon a hungry man just sitting on the shore,
Considering his lot with great dismay,
And if you give that man a fish, his hunger to assuage,
Your gift of fish will feed him for a day.
But if you share the fisher's craft by teaching him the skills,
You'll fill his life with happiness and cheer...
He'll find life's purpose and he'll keep that gift for all his life,
As he spends each day in his boat drinking beer.
o0o