Kenneth Slessor 1901 -1971

One of Australia's foremost modern poets - he has been able to capture in this poem the sense of small country towns in which many people spent their formative years. (For more information see http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A160310b.htm?hilite=slessor )

'Country Towns'

Country towns with your willows and squares,

And farmers bouncing on barrel mares

To public-houses of yellow wood

With "1860" over their doors,

And that mysterious race of Hogans

Which always keeps General Stores . . .

At the School of Arts, a broadsheet lies

Sprayed with the sarcasm of flies:

"The Great Golightly Family" -

Of Entertainers Here To-night"-

Dated a year and a half ago,

But let there, less from carelessness

Than from a wish to seem polite.

Verandas baked with musky sleep,

Mulberry faces dozing deep,

And dogs that lick the sunlight up

Like paste of gold--or, roused in vain

By far, mysterious buggy-wheels,

Lower their ears, and drowse again . . . 

Country towns with your schooner bees,

And locusts burnt in the pepper-trees,

Drown me with syrups, arch your boughs,

Find me a bench and let me snore,

Till, charged with ale and unconcern,

I'll think it's noon at half-past four!