Poem ~ Mad as Mad ~ 26 Dec 2018

Mad as Mad


Dad went mad
found naked on the wood
holding an axe
wasn't good

All the chooks were beheaded
one still running around
nowhere fast
the cat was never found

The dogs had been hit by a car
both dead
waiting to be buried
"Would you like to be fed?"

Aunt Matilda thought that'd work
get the bugger down
but Dad was busy swearing
news had reached town

A siren could be heard
there may be no happy ending
the neighbours dog was barking
people were staring

Then Dad snapped out of it
went in for tea with gran
never happened again
just mad as mad

Jaqui 

Bluh

Wednesday 

26

December

2018

NOTE ~ I had this idea hanging around for decades, and wondered if it might become a painting. Then later, I came across the photo that matched the idea, and added the axe. We had an open fire as a child, and there was always wood coming into the yard, and wood needed splitting. Splitting machines are as common as prickles now, but not back then. So the axe was there by the chopping block, next to the chook run, where chooks were also beheaded for meals, and I remember the headless chook running around the yard. There is the story of one chook that was beheaded, and didn’t die, was fed with an eyedropper, and taken around country shows, until it did die. I had a dog as a child, called Buster. I loved that dog real bad. I went to the shop, and he wanted to come, but was left in the yard. Buster jumped the 6ft paling fence and cuaght up with me. We went to the shop. I told him to stay outside, when I went in, but he chased another dog across the road. Both were hit by a car. I touched Buster, and he bit me. He was hurting. Buster died. I was sadder afterwards than I had ever felt. Mad things happen. Some people go off the rails. Some come right again. Sometimes there is mad as mad. Sometimes it all comes good, before anything too mad or bad happens.