Hello Birders,
A mate overheard me talking about the almost mythical Night Parrot the other
day and was so moved by the tales he went away and wrote a poem which he'd like
to share with you all. Those of you in the know will realise that its a rip-off
of Alfred Noyes's The Highwayman.
Anyway, here's some light-hearted reading for your Friday afternoon....
Cheers, Iain.
THE NIGHT PARROT by Pete Cafe
(adapted from The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes)
i
The wind was a squawk of darkness among the scrub-filled plains,
The Ghan was a ghostly galleon (it's one of Australia's trains)
The road was a ribbon of 'roo guts o'er the Nullarbor,
And the Night Parrot came sliding-
Sliding-sliding-
The Night Parrot came sliding up to the old pub door.
ii
He'd a cockatoo's forehead, green plumage at his chin,
A coat of
yellow velvet and legs like chicken skin;
He squawked a raucous terror, to raise the dead did nigh,
"I need to have a tinkle!
I'm full! I need a tinkle!",
And in his eyes a twinkle, under the southern skies.
iii
The barman did quoth letters, he'd done his learned degrees
In responsible service of alcohol and emptying pokies.
"You can't come in 'ere like that mate, we've got a dress code after eight."
And the Night Parrot went with malice,
to go empty his chalice,
And the road train came from Alice and sent him to his fate.
iv
The wind was a squawk of darkness echoing in the scrubby plains,
The Ghan's been stuck at the Finke since the last big rains,
But the birders they came searching from a junket 'round Mudgee,
The Night Parrot had been sighted!!
They were excited!
Delighted!
But the poor bird that was blighted was just a pissed budgie!
-----------------
Dr Iain M Blake
School of Chemistry
The University of Sydeny
Sydney
NSW 2006
+61 (0)2 93513951
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