Can’t you work a whole lot faster?” said Mr. Rabbit to poor Robb.
“I’ve got Wilkie waiting outside. Find a billion for his mob!
Independents too are watching, please make sure they get the same.
No dance this. Nor the pokies. There are high stakes in this card game.
Wilkie, will you? Wilkie won’t you? Come on play the game!
You’re reneging, Wilkie? That’s not how to play the game!”
Now he’s talking to Rob Oakeshott, making sure he clearly sees
The rule of play to tow back boats is not cruel to refugees.
Then he hears the cry, “Too harsh. Too harsh! This is a national shame!
No thank you, Mr. Rabbit, but I cannot join your game.
Could not, should not…..almost surely I won’t play that game.
Should not, might not…. pretty certain I can’t play that game.”
Now mad Bob Katter’s wish list puts Queensland on the map!
Mr. Rabbit nods, “Great! Thinks, like me, that climate change is crap! “
But mate, Kev, advises Bob he’ll win more playing with that dame.
So he hasn’t made a contract and he’s yet to join the game.
Says he should not, might not, may not join the other game.
Though he might not, but he still could, join the other game.
Cards are on the table now. One man yet to show his hand.
Windsor, honest and much respected throughout Downunderland.
High repute, Mr. Rabbit thinks, enhanced by that royal name.
Oakshott, could not? Katter may not? Windsor’s surely game!
No deal yet done. No play yet won. Still, he makes his claim.
Could nots, should nots, would nots, to him they are all the same.
Mr. Rabbit can not, will not, admit – that no one really wants to play his game.
NOTES: Quadrille is a card game for four players in which all cards are dealt and the winner of the bidding selects a partner by calling a King…………….I didn’t develop the idea of the winner calling a (Red) Queen instead, which had potential.
But she could figure even more deliciously in that other Quadrille, a dance, and one which Lewis Carroll satirised in his Alice in Wonderland and which seemed to me so adaptable for use down here in Downunderland with our own Mr. Rabbit playing such a central role as well as the Red Queen!
“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle – will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance —
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance…………
This was entered on the new site here in March, 2011, but was obviously composed at the time of Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor et al negotiating ‘contracts’ to enable the ALP to form government with the Red Queen, as it were . A year later you can see how these two gentlemen, a Green MHR and other independents helped keep our democracy safe.
https://polliepomes.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/canberra-quadrille-retrospective/
COMMENTS:
Min, 04/08/10, Patricia..wonderful! This is what is lacking in society these days I think. where are the poets, where goeth the ABC that one used to be able to rely on for irony.
TB Queensland, 04/08/10, Just spotted this! Heheeee! Bloody brilliant!!!
joni, 04/08/10, Amazingly good…. standing ovation from this blogocrat.
TB Queensland, 04/08/10, and what a fabulous title! That is clever Patricia, very clever!
Kevin Rennie, 04/08/10, Patricia! Gems!
polliepomes 