Hangin' around Kalgoorlie

By Frank Maguire

It's been about three years since Helen and I met Keith and Lorraine Paddick. They winter here in Arizona City and we happily anticipate their arrival, in November. We share a number of things with these affable folk. Lorraine is from Nova Scotia, which Helen and I regard as one of the world's great beauty spots. Keith loves writing as much as I. His genre is the short story. I've had the pleasure of publishing, in NorthWest Connection, some of these tales of his childhood in the exotic southwestern Australia outback city of Kalgoorlie.

I wrote this poem after thinking of the romance and drama involved in a fella's travels from about as Down Under as one can get, without being in Antarctica, up to Canada's Maritime Province of Nova Scotia, just a hop across the "pond" to Ireland, the land of me own ancestors.

I hope my bit of light-heartedness can give readers a respite from the great political/cultural morass, muck and mire. "Cheeahs, mites!"

Hangin' around Kalgoorlie, down in the west outback,
Gave a sqeeze to a lady, she gave me bush a whack.
She hollered for a courtman, bellowed for her Da,
Screamed for all her brothers...her cousins and her Ma.

I lit outta Kalgoorlie, ridin' for all I'm worth,
Hopin' I could find the quickest way to Perth.
Myself bein' a stranger, giv'n it my best try.
They caught me on the byway, 'n didn't say "g'duy."

Only thing 'at saved me, got hid by blowin' sand,
Knew that they 'ould hang me if I didn't skip that land.
Caught a ship to Novie, up to the ice and snow,
Didn't want no hangin' in that land down below.

Hangin' 'round in Novie, up near Halifax,
Gave a squeeze to a Blue Nose, 'n she gave me back two smacks.
So, mate, learn my lesson, afore you give a squeeze,
Be sure she ain't no lady, and always ask her "please."

Say "please" in the sandy outback,
Say "please" in the ice and snow,
Or you'll end up jus' like me,
Lookin' for a place to go.

© Frank Maguire