Emily Gap, east of Alice Springs, an ancient ceremonial site of the Aranda Aborigines.
THE PSEUDO BUSHY
John McCloy
May, 1997.
I WAS TEACHING IN MOUNT MAGNET
BACK THERE IN `85.
KIND OF WET BEHIND THE EARS
TO LIVE THE COUNTRY LIFE.
A LIFETIME IN THE CITY
AND DEEP SUBURBAN ROOTS
WERE CHANGED IN JUST ONE INSTANT
BY A PAIR OF DARK BROWN BOOTS.
THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK COCKY.
IS CLEARLY RECOGNISED
BY BOOTS AND HAT AND DEEP BROWN TAN
AND RED DUST ROUND HIS EYES.
SO THIS I HAD DECIDED
WOULD BE THE IMAGE I’D CONVEY
TO ALL MY MATES AND FAMILY
IN THE CITY FAR AWAY.
SO I BOUGHT MYSELF A CHECKED SHIRT
AND I WORE IT ROUND THE TOWN
WITH A PAIR OF DIRTY BLUE JEANS
AND A HAT UPON MY CROWN
I THOUGHT I WAS THE GREATEST
A BUSHY THROUGH AND THROUGH
I EVEN SPOKE THE BUSH TALK,
“G’DAY MATE AND `OW ARE YOU?”
I WORKED HARD AT MY IMAGE
AND TO SOME DEGREE IT WORKED
I MIXED IN WITH THE BEST OF THEM;
I CURSED THE DRY, HARD DIRT
BUT I FOUND THE THING THAT’S MISSING
IS A HARD THING TO EXPLAIN
IT’S THE ATTITUDE THAT BUSHMEN HAVE
THAT SHOWED WE’RE NOT THE SAME.
IT DIDN’T MATTER HOW I TRIED
I COULD NOT EMULATE
THE SPIRIT OF THE BUSHIES
AND THOSE I CALLED I MY MATES.
I REALLY TRIED TO BE THE SAME
TO FIT INTO THEIR MOULD
I SOON FOUND OUT THE OUTBACK SPIRIT
WAS AS HARD TO CLONE AS GOLD
BUT I STAYED THERE IN THAT LITTLE TOWN
AND DID THE BEST I COULD
I LOVED THE LIFE, I LOVED THE TOWN
BUT I ALWAYS KNEW I WOULD.
I BECAME A PSEUDO BUSHY
AND I MOVED BACK TO THE CITY
AND I FELT I LEFT MY HEART RIGHT THERE
IN THE COUNTRY – WHAT A PITY!
AND THOUGH I KNOW I’LL NEVER
BE ACCEPTED AS “TRUE BLUE”
I ALWAYS WILL REMEMBER
(WITH GREAT AFFECTION TOO)
HOW I WORE THOSE BOOTS WITH BURSTING PRIDE
A MEMBER OF THE CLAN
A FAIR DINKUM PSEUDO BUSHY
A PRETEND OUTBACK BUSH MAN.
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