In answer to your question –

Posted on June 13, 2011 by patriciawa

I don’t come here for balance,
But rather for an audience
Who’ll hear me out with tolerance;
After making their acquaintance,
To enjoy a bit of dalliance,
With people of intelligence
As well as wit and brilliance.

Where when Labor lacks coherence,
I find constructive conference.
Where I can express with vehemence
My loyalty and allegiance
To a PM of great competence;
Admire her strength and elegance,
Her fairness and benevolence.

Here Coalition petulance
Is seen with its malevolence
Since they didn’t win the preference
Of those vital independents.
Those good men weighed the evidence
In striving for good governance.
It’s to them I look for balance.

NOTE: This was a response to Ad Astra’s post at The Political Sword – “Fair And Balanced Discourse – Is That What We Want?”

Comments

Ad Astra, 13/06/11, June 13. 2011, Patricia WA, What a delightful way of portraying ‘balance’! Thank you another of your pomes.

Talk Turkey, 15/05/11, Patricia WA, I failed to say what a great pome this was, In Answer To Your Question. I think you might have missed your calling as a Rapper!

Dorothea Dix, 08/07/11 I Feared no Offence on Political sword Patricia. Just a little lost in my own cleverness you may say. Sitting here praying to the resting soul of Dorothea Dix can be a little time distorting at times. Stated In Contradiction, one of my favorites as a N.U.F. N.U.F.F. BB DD

Patricia WA, 10/07/11 DD Just came across your comment. Apologies, I’m only now learning how to catch up with comments. This is really somewhere I store stuff I’ve posted elsewhere, mainly at The Political Sword, along with comments there. Didn’t quite understand your acronyms! I have a very literal mind, as opposed to literary!

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New ‘Victorian’ Times, Here In Antipodean Climes?

Posted on June 9, 2011 by patriciawa

You know I never used to swear
As a girl I’d never dare!
Some boys I knew would say things like suck!
And use other words like luck and stuck.
At college I had to work and study
So I remained a fuddy duddy.
Once married I loosened up a bit.
When wiping up vomit and baby spit.
My son, though tough, was quite a hugger,
And my little girl was a heart string tugger.
So I never had real cause to curse
And use bad words like damn and worse.
But now I’m old and have become a poet
I’m often lost for words. Wouldn’t you know it!

Even a simple word like poem,
Has one rhyme only – jereboam!
So I’ve decided that I’ll call mine ‘pomes’
Which has rhymes galore, like foams and gnomes.
But I like to write about politics
Which suggests republics and catholics.
And that makes me think of a certain prick
Who I’d like to kick,.. give the flick,.. who makes me sick,.. he’s such a dick!
Well, you can see it’s easy to get the habit
Of swearing about that rotten Mr. Rabbit.
So now I often use swear words like shit
After all he’s always using it.
Still I prefer to use it as an adjective
Describing him, not as a derivative.

So there you are. These days I often swear.
There are opportunities everywhere.
I dream each night some lurking mugger
Will jump out and grab that bugger.
Or that protesters will run amok
And shout and scream at him to “Fuck….
Himself!”
No need to reach up to my book shelf
For any rhyming dictionary.
I’ve become a missionary
For freedom of speech.
Everywhere I go I preach
Our right to use any dirty word, e.g. ‘coition’ –
That’s ‘fucking,’  not misprint for Coalition.
I’ll keep doing that while it’s still lawful.
To think that one day soon it might not be… is bloody awful.

NOTE: This was inspired by the recent announcement by the conservative Victorian State government of the imminent introduction through State Parliament of on the spot fines for swearing. If you are deemed by an officer of the Victorian Police to have sworn in an indecent, offensive or threatening manner, you will be made to contribute $240 to the state’s coffers

Comments

D Mick Weir, 09/06/11, Well done Patricia WA

Min, 09/06/11, Patricia, you are brilliant. You make it look so easy. Only one other person that I can think of who could compete, being Migs of course

Gravel, 10/06/11, Oh I have had a great belly laugh at this pome, and if you hadn’t prefaced this with a bit of your history I would have got a shock reading it, as none of your writing would suggest you would know some of those words. I think as we have got a bit older we are losing some of inhibitions that we as women have grown up with. Oh and congratulations, I came straight here from your link, now you just have to let us know you have just written another great pome and we can skip across here.

Cheryl, 12/06/11, Whale oil beef hooked; this is marvellous Patricia. At last I approve of your use of the pretentious word “pomes”.

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Barnaby Thinks He’ll Soon Rejoice

Posted on June 9, 2011 by patriciawa

With my degree in accountancy
I understand all about LSD.
Which used to be our currency
Before cents got used instead of Ps.

Tony was right in choosing me
For Shadow Finance Ministry.
I could have solved the GFC
Almost single handedly.

But Labor had control, you see
And I had to sit there quietly
While they listened to Ken Henery
And his guff about bank guarantees.

So Rudd ruined our economy
By borrowing Chinese currency.
In ‘hock to our eyeballs’, weren’t we?
How could Glenn Stevens disagree?

That was when they shifted me
To another Shadow Ministry
For things like country regions, water’n trees.
But I still keep an eye on Treasury.

Those blokes there need the third degree.
They break their own rules about secrecy.
Look how the latest figures on the GDP
Were leaked to the papers and the ABC!

I’ll set them right eventually.
Just wait till I get a proper Ministry.
Me and Tony’ll sort out this economy.
It won’t be long now. You’ll see.

Comments

Janice, 09/06/11,  Great pome Patricia. When you listen to Barnaby and Hockey it is easy to understand where the term “creative accountancy” came from.

Feral Skeleton, 09/06/11,  PatriciaWA, Your pomes are a joy to behold.

Lyn, 09/06/11,  Hi Patricia! Thankyou for posting another creative pome for our enjoyment, how lovely you are.

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Tony Abbott Backs a Really Big Australian!

Posted on June 4, 2011 by patriciawa

“Big Australian!” What a perfect name
For this woman in her outsized frame!
Relinquished by BHP Billeton
For Gina! She’s now our gigantic one!

Some in Oz have great respect for size,
Particularly of wealth, which leftist eyes
Might find ugly distasteful or obscene.
But not worshippers of our Iron Ore Queen.

High Priest leading these is a politician,
Tony Abbott, Leader of our Opposition,
Who thinks preserving giant Gina’s wealth
Is more important than the nation’s health.

That mining taxes burdened her and friends,
That their group prosperity far transcends
Savings for malingerers and shirkers
Who once retired are no longer workers!

Not like the Big Australian and her mates,
Clive and Twiggy. They’re miners all, not magnates!
Why should they toil all day, near break their backs,
Now to be burdened by a Carbon Tax!

That’s why Abbott wants us to join with him
To fight for Gina in this battle grim.
He thinks this woman’s cause deserves our votes.
It’s even weightier than stopping boats.

Notes

I have found Mr. Denmore’s recent satire on a certain mining magnate ‘changing her frame’ as it were at the The Failed Estate all too real. I have long been alarmed at how increasingly difficult it is becoming for the progressive voice to be heard in Australia, with even moderate good sense and the national interest rapidly losing ground to the extreme right. It was difficult enough with News Ltd and Rupert Murdoch controlling well over sixty per cent of Australia’s media outlets. Now we have stakes in Fairfax Media and Ten Network being bought up by Gina Rinehart, an avowed climate sceptic and fan of radio shock jock Andrew Bolt to whom she has given an even wider audience with his own weekly TV program. Even the Guardian in the UK is commenting on the impact this has had in strengthening Tony Abbott’s anti Carbon Tax campaign. To underline that we have the latest disastrous Morgan Poll phone survey results of 58-42 in favor ofthe Coalition reported and discussed by the Pollbludger in Crikey today.

How can sane thinking ever prevail in this country with such undue influence being exerted over our media by so few wealthy individuals? We now have a situation whereby a good government, albeit in a hung parliament, achieving miraculously steady progress by consensus amongst Labor, the Greens and Independents, seems unappreciated by the public at large. I have almost turned to prayer that our Members of Parliament stay well, and that the next few weeks should bring no unforeseen crisis to bring Julia Gillard down before July 1st, or thereafter offering Tony Abbott the opportunity to call a double dissolution . My sense is that we have only the narrowest of opportunities to save our country from falling into a deep chasm of self destruction, and that undue weight of influence is held by a few powerfully wealthy individuals.

I have never before felt quite so powerless. What can one do, I despaired. I was somehat heartened by reading Bob Brown’s opinion that one should just do

‘what you can in an extraordinary circumstance on a planet that is in real trouble….’

Today all I could do is to join Mr. Denmore and others in satirising individuals who threaten our country’s well being. Any encouraging ideas are welcome!

Comments

Janice, 05/06/11 And you’ve come up with an excellent pome, Patricia. I agree with you that the current climate of media one-ownership plus a rabid opposition leader joining forces is stifling rational thinking within the electorate.

Gravel, 05/06/11 Patricia, I can but only wholly agree with every word you have written. Is it because we are getting older that we can see what would happen if the opposition were to gain power, no matter who led them. You have expressed my thoughts and fears here, and I would think many of the wonderful people to TPS.

lyn, 05/06/11 Hi Patricia! You are brilliant – thoughtful genuine comment and wonderful pome. Mr Denmore’s articles are always of a very high standard and his opinion is tops. We are lucky to have such quality bloggers out there keeping us informed of the facts. Don’t worry too much about the Morgan Poll, William Bowe said the questions were more than dubious. Patricia I have changed my email address only the first 2 characters reversed, because have connected to ADSL instead of wireless. So far seems a better signal hopefully it will continue. Cheers, lyn

Mr. Denmore, 05/06/11 Nice work Patricia. Big Australians; Big Lies maybe?

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The Big Australian

Posted on June 3, 2011 by patriciawa

“Big Australian!” What a perfect name
For this woman in her outsized frame!
Relinquished by BHP Billeton
For Gina! She’s now our gigantic one!

Some in Oz have great respect for size,
Particularly of wealth, which leftist eyes
Might find ugly distasteful or obscene.
But not worshippers of our Iron Ore Queen.

High Priest leading these is a politician,
Tony Abbott, Leader of our Opposition,
Who thinks preserving giant Gina’s wealth
Is more important than the nation’s health.

Taxes shouldn’t overburden her or friends.
Their group prosperity by far transcends
Savings for malingerers and shirkers;
Once retired they’re no longer workers!


Unlike the Big Australian and her mates,
Clive and Twiggy. They’re miners all, not magnates.
From dawn to dusk they toil, near break their backs,
Just to be burdened by a Carbon Tax!

Abbott’s right to ask us to join with him
To fight for Gina in this battle grim.
This mighty woman’s cause deserves our votes.
It’s even weightier than stopping boats.

Comments

Pip, 05/06/11 Patricia WA, that is an excellent pome. What is it about large, avaricious mining types?

Min, 05/06/11 Well done Patricia. Love it

Mr. Denmore, 05/06/11 Nice work Patricia. Big Australians; Big Lies maybe?

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Doesn’t Pragmatism Begin At Home, Tony?

Posted on June 1, 2011 by patriciawa

Tony Abbott’s made it very plain.
He doesn’t want a policy list,
In which he thinks there’s not much gain.
He’d rather be a pragmatist.

This response to his one time mentor,
Nick Minchin, urging sound policies
Over cheap populism, seems therefore
To dismiss his other prophecies.

At least two years from now must pass
Before the Party gains victory.
Can he stay ‘in’ with boss and working class
Till then, without seeming contradictory?

Already thought a weather cock,
Whose views from day to day will differ,
Judging what’s best for his own stock,
He’s the consummate wind sniffer.

Checking his electoral chances
As natural to him as breathing,
Anything which his cause enhances
Is on. Who cares who else is seething?

Even members of his own party,
Like climate spokesman, poor Greg Hunt,
Left to defend his leader once again
After one more climate sceptic stunt.

Significant others in the team
Resent his ever spiralling spin,
Hell bent on realizing his own dream
Of an election he’ll sacrifice anyone to win.

And that’s nine hundred days away,
When one day alone can be too long!
How pragmatic will his colleagues be
Before they call time for his swan song?

COMMENTS

Feral Skeleton, 01/06/11, You know I reckon your pomes are brilliant.

Janice,, 01/06/11 10, More stars, Patricia. You are so clever!

Gravel, 02/06/11, Another great pome (as others seem to spell it, I wonder why?), you certainly put into those poems a lot of good thoughts too.

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Jericho Stands Firm In Battle With Murdoch**

Posted on May 21, 2011 by patriciawa

Dear Grog, what is it about you
That someone at News Limited
Is so very keen to out you,
To somehow have discredited,
What you say and what you do.

At first they tried by naming you.
But you wouldn’t be inhibited.
They found no way of shaming you,
Or getting you prohibited
From publishing your point of view.

Now, with malice quite unmerited,
They’ve informed us, with a sneer or two,
That your picture’s now exhibited
Where everyone can look at you.
So we followed up and visited………..

There you were unmasked, ‘unveiled.’
Your face, for which we’re grateful, Grog,
As Ralph Fiennes look-alike has failed.
It does, however, reflect what’s in your blog;
That honest clarity which has murky Murdoch media nailed.

**I found the title to this one difficult, in view of the walls of Jericho coming down in that long ago battle with the Israelites. Because Grog stood firm after his name was out. He was happy to confirm it. I sought help from friends at the Political Sword and I think the above does work.

Note: This was written in response to an entry in The Australian’s ‘Diary’ of 20/05/11, linked above, which seemed a somewhat gratuitous reference to Greg Jericho. He has written many honest criticisms of biassed or distorted commentary in Murdoch media outlets in his widely read blog, Grog’s Gamut. The Australian’s ‘outing’ of Greg Jericho as public servant in Canberra was something of a cause celebre throughout the blogosphere about which I wrote a pome at the time, Areopagitica.. Murdoch’s media empire outrages me……but more of that later.

COMMENTS

NormanK, 22/05/11, “Jericho’s Walls Unbreeched by Murdoch” Just a thought. Beautifully written Patricia. It’s a nice scary feeling when you care a lot about the end result, isn’t it? Have no fear, I’m sure it will be well received.

Talk Turkey, 22/05/11. Great tribute to Grog and all goodhearted people will agree. The archetype for your headline is (JoshWA fit de Battle ob Jericho An’ de walls came a-tumbellin’ down!) So “Rupert #**ed in Battle wid Jericho” (or can’t we say that?) OK “Murdoch Fails in Battle with Jericho!” is my second choice.

Ad Astra, 22/05/11, I do like your poem dedicated to Greg Jericho whom we admire so much, but whom the Murdoch press seems to delight in demeaning. We know why – he pings and stings it more than most.

Grog, 24/05/11 Cheers Patricia WA. I liked the bit suggesting that I “confirmed my name” lolz.

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Turnbull, Malcontent?

Posted on May 19, 2011 by patriciawa

What is the reason for his discontent,
What troubles in his bosom buried?
Is Malcolm Turnbull now a man intent
On casting off a burden too long carried?

Is acceptance of that poisoned chalice,
His task to destroy the NBN,
Offered by Abbott out of malice,
Causing him to wish he could resign again?

He knows that pulling up established fibre
Reminds of books once by fascists burned,
Sure to alienate many a subscriber,
Have voters back to ALP returned.

So he contradicts his colleague Joe,
Clearly speaks against the party line.
This has his audience agog to know,
Is the Honorable Mal planning to resign?

Late night, world weary, mood odd and strange,
Head and heart loyal still to an ETS,
Loath to back Abbott’s craziness on climate change,
One sensed, if asked direct, he’d have gladly answered, “Yes!”

COMMENTS

Ad Astra, 19/05/11, Patricia WA,Thank you for your clever poem – I think you have really hit the mark. Remember the glimpses of Malcolm Turnbull’s face when watching Tony Abbott’s Budget speech in reply. It portrayed dismay, even disgust. I think he has had enough of the conservatives that threw him out, and the fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) Abbott spews out every day.

Miglo, 19/05/11, I love the poem, Patricia. How do you keep producing these wonderful gems?

Feral Skeleton, 19/05/11, ‘He knows that pulling up established fibre
Reminds of books once by fascists burned,’

For mine, your best lines ever, Patricia. They have such a resounding resonance that, like the best of Shakespeare, they can be savoured by the brain again and again, as the ramifications of those lines rebound along all the tangents that spring from them.

Talk Turkey, 19/05/11, FS I liked Patricia WA’s rhyming ‘fibre’ with ‘subscriber’. I wonder how many times that’s ever been done?

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The Political Sword Cheer Squad

Posted on May 17, 2011 by patriciawa

We bloggers at The Political Sword
Have been accused by disgruntled readers
Of being a leftie cheer squad.
That’s true! Here we are, relaxing! Its leaders!

This is what we wear on a working day.
Far left is Janice and right is Lyn,
And then there’s me, Patricia WA.
Alongside feisty Feral Skeleton.

We’re all in red. That white A makes clear
Ad Astra’s the big boss, pictured right.
He calls the tune, tells us when to cheer,
And moves on rabble rousers hoping for a fight.

Comments

D Mick Weir, 17/05/11, geez, what a gorgeous bunch of shielas, cor blimey, in a different life I could cosy up to all of em 🙂

 

 

Feral Skeleton, 17/05/011, Patricia WA, Thank You. ‘Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves!’ (I really should change my Gravatar to a Nervous Nellie cartoon).

Lyn, 17/05/11, Hi Patricia!You are so clever with your pomes, I love this one though because we are all in it. Those bathers of mine, the pink ones I have on in the photo. You just reminded me to get those on tomorrow, pink is my favourite colour, I really love that particular pair of bathers. Yes and they suit my complexion

janice, 17/05/11, How could I not love your pome, Patricia. Went to view the pics and couldn’t help a little pining for a lost youth I wonder though if you might think about a cheer squad complete with pom-poms (like the footie girls).

Patricia WA, 18/05/11, All our Pom Pom pictures were too sexy, Janice. I chose the more modest ones to maintain the wholesome image of The Political Sword!.

Patricia WA, 20/07/11, I suggested at TPS we might change our name to become cheer squad for the PM and invited anyone interested in adding their names to contact me e.g. Gravel!

Gravel, 21/07/2011 Thanks for your invite to us ‘girls’. I’m on the couch, but being 4’9″ no one can see me. I had read your great pome ages ago, believe me I didn’t feel left out……..people, especially in a crowd, ‘overlook’ me literally and sometimes walk straight into me. 🙂

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Why Such Limited News Of Our Prime Minister?

Posted on May 15, 2011 by patriciawa

Who else finds it odd, mysterious,
There’s only limited news, no serious
Comment, on achievements of this woman
In a man they’d say were superhuman.
Abroad, she was acknowledged everywhere
As statesman-like. Here, no one seems to care.
Journos meanwhile with camera and mike
Trail a fitness freak on a racing bike.
Budget Day our Prime Minister is seen,
As PMs should be, on the TV screen.
For two days featured on front page,
The nation’s leader was centre stage,
Praised by bankers and economists,
Businessmen, even some agronomists.
Then a ‘story’ breaks. Will she, or won’t she, wed?
Consensus is, politically, she’s dead.
Meanwhile focus turns, with great fanfare,
To a Budget Reply that wasn’t there.
Last year’s election speech some say was smart.
I’d say, “Rubbish! Re-cycled by a media tart
Who seems to have press so beguiled
That ‘news limited’ to him is all that’s being filed.”

NOTES: This is a sequel to Tony Abbott’s Budgie Speech but also a commentary on the way that News Ltd. media outlets have managed to swing favorable comment on the government’s budget around to trivia around the PM and to ‘considered’ opinion on the smart move of Abbott in refusing to ‘reply to the budget’ and delivering an election campaign speech instead, a recycled one at that from 2010.

I also make reference here to the PM’s first overseas trip.

PRECIS: For the Poll Bludger 30/11/11 after comments on poor media coverage of the government generally, which led to minor misunderstanding with Talk Turkey at TPS!  Sorted out with with explanation that this is a precis of my longer pome above, written in April at the time of 2011 Budget debate.

Some people find it odd, mysterious,
There’s very little news, no serious
Comment, on achievements of this woman
In a man they’d say were superhuman.

Abroad, she was acknowledged everywhere
As statesman-like. Here, no one seemed to care.
Journos meanwhile with camera and mike
Trail a fitness freak on a racing bike.

Reports headline his stunts as smart.
No suggestion that he’s a media tart.
How come our press is so beguiled
That news limited to him is all that’s filed?”

Comments

Miglo,       15/05/11     Patricia, that’s exactly how it is. Well said. Can you imagine the reaction if Julia Gillard donned lycras and went bike riding?

BH,     30/11/11 at      Always love your polliepomes, Patricia. Good stuff.

Lyn,    30/11/11,   Nice work Patricia, brilliant, thankyou.     CheersSmileSmileSmileSmileSmileSmileSmileSmileSmile

Talk Turkey,   30/11/11,     H’mpfff!   Patricia posted this on PB so I’m re-housing it here. Patricia Why not post your pomes on both sites, everyone will applaud!  TELL HER Swordsfolks!

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