Friday Funny - Pa's Poems

On a recent visit to my parents, my Mum mentioned something about her Pa and the funny little poems he used to write and post to her when she was a little girl. Mum lived in Melbourne and her Pa lived in Victoria’s Western District (in Beeac, then Cressy and Colac).

I had never heard about any such poems before and it didn’t take much prompting for Mum to bring them out.

There are definite benefits in having a mum who is a hoarder – she has bundles of poems and letters, photographs, souvenir booklets and even tickets to events!

(More of that later)

Mum’s Pa was Edward LONG (1872 – 1951). I would have liked to have met him but he died when my Mum was in her teens.

Here are a couple of his funny little poems – sent to his little granddaughter:

Transcription is beside this

To Janet and Ann from Pa

Once upon a time there were two little girls

Who stood on the gate with their hair in curls

And watched the train as it raced past

And waved their hands so very fast

That the driver smiled and waved them back

As he raced the train along the track

But since they left he missed them so

That his wistle he never now does blow

But when they come back to watch the train

You will hear his wistle blow again

We have a little house

Down the path

When you get there

It makes you laugh

G.P.O.

And when his wife went to Melbourne to stay with the girls (my mum was 'Mrs Smith' and her sister was 'Mrs Brown):

To Janet and Ann from Pa

I miss Mrs Smith and Mrs Brown

Since they have gone back to town

But now they have their Nanna to mind

I know she will find them very kind.

But don’t give her too many ice creams

As she might wake up in the night with dreams

Put a nice hot woolly round her head

And make her sit up for her toast in bed.

Mackie came in with a very full tummy

The reason was he had caught a bunny

And ate it all but one hind leg

And therefore couldn’t sit up and beg.

x x x x from Pa

Two little girls from far away

Was helping Bill to cart the hay

But the cart was very very bumpy

And it made them laugh and feel so grumpy

And all the dogs with drooping tails

Came to see them unload the bales

But the work was too awful hard by far

So they thought they would visit Nanna and Pa

So they said goodbye to Tony and Jessie

And Bill he brought them on to Cressy

And there they met Nanna and Pa

Who brought them home by motor car

And Budgie was pleased to see them arrive

And Nobbie came scampering up the drive

And all the kittens sat up on their tails

Just like a lot of ugly snails.