Convicts, Conflict & Love
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Poetry On A Plate Wednesday 12 September 2012 Convicts, Conflict & Love Inspired by “Our Country’s Good” 1. The World Turned Upside Down by Leon Rosselson 2. The Goose and the Commons – Anonymous 3. Van Diemen's Land – Anonymous 4. Jim Jones at Botany Bay – Anonymous 5. The Wild Colonial Boy – Anonymous 6. Language of the Land by Enda Kenny 7. Tolpuddle Man by Graham Moore 8. Do you think that I do not know? by Henry Lawson 9. No Man’s Land by Eric Bogle 10. If you were coming in the fall by Emily Dickinson 11. Disaster at Sea by Les Barker 12. Letter From An Italian Barber by Elizabeth Berridge 13. Freedom on the Wallaby by Henry Lawson 14. If They Come In The Morning by Jack Warshaw 15. Hawks and Eagles by Ian Walker 16. Procedure for Disposal by Clive James Note: A number of these selections are poems that have been put to music or songs with poetic lyrics. Those writers listed as anonymous are either not known or kept their identities secret because it was often too dangerous to be identified for fear of reprisal by the authorities. Most have a link with Australia, transportation and colonial exploitation and oppression. There’s also LOVE in different forms! 1 The World Turned Upside Down by Leon Rosselson In 1649, to St. George's Hill, A ragged band they called the Diggers Came to show the people's will They defied the landlords, They defied the laws They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs. "We come in peace" they said "to dig & sow. We come to work the lands in common and to make the waste ground grow. This earth divided we will make whole So it will be a common treasury for all.” The sin of property we do disdain No man has any right to buy and sell the earth for private gain By theft and murder they took the land Now everywhere the walls spring up at their command They make the laws to chain us well The clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell We will not worship the god they serve The god of greed who feeds the rich while poor folk starve We work, we eat together, we need no swords We will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords Still we are free, though we are poor You Diggers all, stand up for glory, stand up now!" From the men of property, the orders came They sent the hired men and troopers To wipe out the Diggers' claim Tear down their cottages, destroy their corn They were dispersed, but still the vision lingers on "You poor take courage, you rich take care This earth was made a common treasury for everyone to share All things in common, all people one We come in peace" - the order came to cut them down. The Diggers were one of many radical movements (including the first Quakers) that sprang up during the time of Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil War. They were one of the first groups to articulate a clearly socialist view of society. They actively resisted efforts of landowners to fence in and take over ownership of what were originally large tracts of land held in common by villages. Originally recorded as a song by its author, it has been widely covered by artists like Billy Bragg, Roy Bailey and Dick Gaughan. 2 The Goose and the Commons – Anonymous The law locks up the man or woman The poor and wretched don’t escape Who steals the goose from off the If they conspire the law to break; common This must be so but they endure But leaves the greater villain loose Those who conspire to make the law. Who steals the common from off the goose. The law locks up the man or woman Who steals the goose from off the The law demands that we atone common When we take things we do not own And geese will still a common lack But leaves the lords and ladies fine Till they go and steal it back. Who take things that are yours and mine. A 17th century protest against English enclosure 3 Van Diemen's Land – Anonymous Come all you gallant poachers that We had a female comrade, Sue ramble void of care Summers was her name, That walk out on a moonlight night with And she was given sentence for a- your dog, your gun and snare selling of our game. The harmless hare and pheasant you But the captain fell in love with her and have at your command he married her out of hand Not thinking of your last career out on And she proved true and kind to us Van Diemen's Land going to Van Diemen's Land. Me and five more went out one night As I lay on the deck last night a- into Squire Duncan's park dreaming of my home To see if we could catch some game, I dreamed I was in Harbouree, the the night it being dark fields and woods among But to our great misfortune we got With my true love beside me and a jug dropped on with speed of ale in hand And they took us off to Warwick gaol But I woke quite broken-hearted out in which made our hearts to bleed Van Diemen's Land. Then at Warwick assizes at the bar we So come all you gallant poachers, give did appear ear unto my song And like Job we stood with patience It is a bit of good advice although it be our sentence for to hear not long But being old offenders it made our Lay by your dog and snare, to you I do case go hard speak plain And for fourteen long and cruel years If you knew the hardships we endure, we were all sent on board you'd never poach again. This is a ballad about poachers deported to Van Diemen's Land (today Tasmania), which was named after Anthony van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1636-1645). 4 Jim Jones at Botany Bay – Anonymous Oh, listen for a moment, lads, and hear me tell me tale, How o'er the sea from England's shore I was obliged to sail. The jury says: “He's guilty, sir,” and says the judge, says he: “For life, Jim Jones, I'm sending you across the stormy sea. And take my tip before you ship to join the iron gang, Don't be too gay at Botany Bay or else you'll surely hang. Or else you'll surely hang“ says he, “and after that, Jim Jones, High upon the gallows tree the crows will pick your bones. You'll have no chance for mischief then, remember what I say: They'll flog the poaching out of you down there at Botany Bay.” The wind blew high upon the sea and the pirates come along, But the soldiers in our convict ship was nigh five hundred strong. They opened fire and somehow drove that pirate ship away. I'd rather have joined the skull-and-bones than go to Botany Bay. Now night and day the irons clang, and like poor galley-slaves We toil and strive and when we die, we fill dishonoured graves. But by and by I'll break me chains and to the bush I'll go, And join the brave bushrangers there like Donahue and Co. And some dark night when everything is silent in the town, I'll kill them tyrants one by one and shoot the floggers down. I'll give the law a little shock, remember what I say, They'll yet regret they sent Jim Jones in chains to Botany Bay. Jim Jones at Botany Bay is a traditional Australian folk ballad first published in 1907but sometimes attributed to Francis McNamara, known as Frank the Poet, who arrived on the convict ship Eliza in 1832. The narrator, Jim Jones, is found guilty of an unnamed crime (although the song refers to "flog the poaching out of you"; Poaching was a transportable offence) and sentenced to transportation. En route, his ship is attacked by pirates, but the crew holds them off. Just when the narrator remarks that he would rather have joined the pirates (or indeed drowned at sea than have gone to Botany Bay) he is reminded by his captors that any mischief will be met with the whip. The final verse sees the narrator describing the daily drudgery and degradation of life in the penal colony, and dreaming of joining the bushrangers and taking revenge on his floggers. 5 The Wild Colonial Boy – Anonymous There was a Wild Colonial Boy, But a Judge who'd robbed a mother Jack Doolan was his name, Of her one and only joy Of poor but honest parents, Sure, he must be a worse outlaw He was born in Castlemaine. Than, The Wild Colonial Boy. He was his father's only hope His mother’s pride and joy, 'Surrender now! Jack Doolan, And dearly did his parents love For you see it’s three to one; The Wild Colonial Boy. Surrender in the Queen's Own Name, You are a highwayman'. At the age of sixteen years Jack drew his pistol from his belt He left his native home, And waved it like a toy, And to Australia's sunny shores 'I'll fight, but not surrender', cried A bushranger did roam.