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              Tony Beyer

              WORK

                    on holiday

                    thinking about a job I had

                    when I was my son's age

 

                    he's taller than I am

                    and because he works out

                    better built

 

                    but could he

                    lift turn and spread

                    a wet sheep pelt

 

                    one every eight seconds or so

                    so it gets you in the backs

                    of the upper arms and in the spine

 

                    I'd rather

                    have had him with me

                    the late winter before

 

                    slashing weeds

                    and unwanted scrub

                    out of the holding paddock windbreaks

 

                    we'd go hell for leather

                    for an hour in the morning

                    leaving the cut green standing

 

                    then relax yarn smoke

                    pulling bits out bit by bit

                    the rest of the day

 

                    like anyone's father

                    mine taught me how to work hard

                    but never how to like it