Mr. O'Brien sent me the URL for his web site (see at bottom below), and
quite a site it is. Now here is a real poet! I can't wait to see what he
sends in answer.
What follows is from his home page.
Kent
---------------
G'day mate! cop a load of me ugly mug
(It'd scare the pants off a bus load of nuns)
My name is Rodney and I'll give ya' the good oil about meself.
First of all I love me "grog" and I love beautiful women, but I think I'd
rather a beer in the scrub than a naggin' woman at home.
I'm a bloke, (you can tell that by my name and the picture) I'm 52 years old
and I live about 32kms north of Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia. Before
moving to Queensland in September 1998, I was living in Sydney, New South
Wales for 13 months and before then I lived in Western Australia, and, for
the past 25 years I have been involved in the "Gold Mining Industry" in
Western Australia. I have spent many years prospecting for gold (with some
success) in some of the remotest places in Northern, Western and Central
Australia.
I was born in Melbourne in 1948. I moved to the eastern goldfields of
Western Australia in 1972 and lead a life that only a few people get the
chance to lead. I went prospecting for gold in the south of Western
Australia and as far north as the Kimberley Region and east to the Western
Australian, South Australian and Northern Territory Borders.
"A bit about the olden' days"
In The late 60's I drove road trains in the Territory from Alice to Darwin,
carted copper from Mt Isa to Alice. Helped build the big Catholic church in
the Alice. Lived and worked with me coloured mates at Hermansberg, Palm
Valley and Docker River, Had the honour of going walkabout with my adopted
people (I reckon I would'of make a good white-tracker). Prospected Harts
Range, around Tennent Creek and out west as far as Wave Hill. I've seen the
Todd River break its banks and the Gibson and Simpson Desert in full flower.
Then for some reason the government put me in a place I didn't want to go,
(the less said the better) and I quickly learnt about the value of life.
I've been up to me arse in mud for weeks on end and had to fight the snakes
off for dry ground in a swollen river, been trampled by wild camels in the
Pilbara, stuck in an emu plague in the Murchison (I have never met anyone
who can cook emu good enough to eat) Had a King Brown snake as a bed mate
(some of my poetry will reflect some of my better days). By crickey mate I
could "rave and rave for hours" but I'd better get on with it.
"My Poetry."
I started writing poetry a number of years ago and I sort of lost interest
after a while because there were not many people interested in bush poetry,
but I have regained my need for expressing my self through poetry and I
really enjoy writing poetry, the poetry I write is a mixture of everthing,
happiness, sadness, wisdom and controversies. Poems for lovers, for
children, for those with a sense of aussie humour, reflections of the past
and a bit of potpourri.
I would like to share my poems with you, and maybe they will bring a bit of
joy and happiness into your life as they have done for me.
If you have any comments about my poetry or anything else, constructive or
otherwise please Email your comments to.
"[log in to unmask]"
Or you can visit my website
http://widebay.net.au/~krackatinni
(c)Krackatinni (R.J.O'Brien)~ June 1996/2000
>From: "tom bell" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "kent johnson" <[log in to unmask]>
>CC: <[log in to unmask]>, "subsub" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: An amazing letter from Australia
>Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 14:40:42 -0600
>
>is this real? does Mr. o have an email address?
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "kent johnson" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Cc: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2000 2:02 PM
>Subject: An amazing letter from Australia
>
>
> > Subsubpoetics
> >
> > =========================== ListBot Sponsor ==========================
> > Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb
> > ======================================================================
> >
> > (To: Mr. Kent Johnson)
> >
> > Dear Mr. Johnson;
> >
> > I have been answering the tests you have given on the british-poets
> > discussion group, which I read through the Archives pages at Jiscmail. I
> > also read other lists on a daly basis there-- there are a good lot of
>them
> > at JiscMail.
> >
> > I live in the desert in Australia. If you do not mind, I would like to
>send
> > you my answers. But I cant do so on e-mail since my answers have the
> > diagrams and constructions where you have required them. But I don't
>know
> > your adress, of course. So: Could you mail if to me Please? I think that
> > even although your questions are sometimes funny <grin X 7!> I have done
>my
> > best to be serious because architecture and poetry is important.
> >
> > Do you know how I would mail my poetry to Mr. Dick Trantner at Jacket
> > Magazine? I know he is in australia, but with the internet what are
> > countries when you think about it?
> >
> > I am sending an ARS POETICA I have written, for your enjoyment. And
>below
>it
> > is a poem, as a sampel, one of over probably 10,000 that I have
>composed.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > John R. O'Brien
> >
> > ***
> >
> > My Reasons For, My Love of Poetry
> >
> > My Poetry is written for two main reasons, one is to express my feelings
>and
> > the other is to tell a story.
> >
> > Expressing my feelings with poetry is probably the easiest way I can
>tell
> > someone I love and care for them, also, at the same time I can relate
>within
> > my poetry my innermost feelings of what matters most to me in life.
> >
> > Telling a story within my poetry is a unique way for me to tell a story
>of
> > something homorous or dramatic that I have experienced in my life.
> >
> > My poetic antidotes of fictitious people, places, strange animals and
> > creatures are mostly built on fact,
> > (but I have of course stretched the truth a bit).
> >
> > So for these reasons, I believe that, correct spelling, proper
>punctuation
> > and good grammar is not necessarily a requirement for the writing of
> > humorous, light hearted or serious poetry.
> >
> > John Rodney O'Brien (Australian poet)
> >
> > ~~~ A Red Rose ~~~
> >
> > My dearest darling I reveal,
> > Within my heart the love I feel,
> > For you my sweet I do suppose,
> > Your beauty is a red, red rose.
> >
> > The red, red rose you gave to me,
> > It gave to me the ecstasy,
> > The ecstasy of pure bliss,
> > Whence my love we first did kiss.
> >
> > That was the most amazing thing,
> > Within my heart that kiss did ring,
> > It rang into my very soul,
> > My emotions, I'll not control.
> >
> > I'll not control my greatest fear,
> > My fear is to lose you dear,
> > For if I loose you I should cry,
> > Within my heart then I shall die.
> >
> > I shall die and not return,
> > To let my heart forever burn,
> > For if my heart should burn and fade,
> > I'll not be there to love again.
> >
> > It's not right to love and stray,
> > Too another every day,
> > I must keep your love so true,
> > And give my love to only you.
> >
> > I'd need to give you all my love,
> > The love it comes from up above,
> > I send it darling straight to you,
> > Like a bolt of lightning from the blue.
> >
> > İR.J.O'Brien ~ March 30, 1998
> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________________
> > To unsubscribe, write to [log in to unmask]
>
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