FOLK COLLECTION 11: The Skaggs Foundation Cowboy Poetry Collection

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

188

Will Ogilvie

The Riddle Of Life

We ride from the East in the grey light; The curtains of night are withdrawn; The young leaves curl up to the daylight, the magpies are hailing the dawn;

noontide, hohllow, hillside, sin, forget, moon

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

189

Will Ogilvie

The Last Toast

They were our little playmates in the far-away cradle-days with their toddling gait and their lisping speech and their wonderful baby ways;

fair, wife, wine, laught, pearls, hemlock

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

190

Will Ogilvie

Memory Town

From dawning to dusk moves the crowd in her street with eyes looking upward, quick pulses that beat. and slow feet that loiter, and dumb lips that call

sunshine, regret, pavements, wistful, death

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

191

Will Ogilvie

The Secrets Of The Moon

I lie at night and watch her as she sails across the sky with the hidden joys and sorrows that we know not, you and I; And I watch her drifting onward

freight, friendly, brave, stars, cradles

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

193

Will Ogilvie

The Race Of My Heart

I have ridden in finishes fast and fine for many a purse and plate, from the coorong out to the Condamine, from Bourke to the Bogan Gate: But the race of my heart has a sunset

creek, whip, rein, troops, race

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

194

Will Ogilvie

Auld Lang Syne

O it's southward from Southampton! and she takes the Channel gay, but many a heart is bleeding as she stands across the bay; And it may be just a parting where we've known a hundred more,

ship, saloon, music, trip, restless, tears

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

196

Will Ogilvie

Vita Brevis

OUr life is but a moment: one sheen of silk and pearls; One dance between the daylights with a certain girl of girls; One feast of burning kisses,

death, rails, sunlights, despite, fails

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

197

Will Ogilvie

The Truest Friend

I had a comrade tried and true, shoulder to shoulder we fought life through; And whoever spoke light of his name to me had a foe to face and a sword to flee;

bright, toasts, careless, endure

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

198

Will Ogilvie

In Shadow Of She-Oaks

When my hour shall come, as it will some day, and the fetters of Death shall bind me, oh, it's out in the open Bush I pray that the angel of Death may find me;

weather, heather, pities, stalk, hawk, dies, lonely

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

199

Will Ogilvie

Grey Dawn

The dawnlight floods the far lands; The stars have ceased to shine. Sweep up the withered garlands, throw out the dregs of wine! Dear lips are hushed of laughter,

sad, idol, bridle, glid, hill, hope

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

200

Will Ogilvie

To Horse And Away

When sorrows come sobbing to clutch at the breast, when trouble comes robbing the heart of its rest; When cash columns addle

fray, devil, fortune, lonely, gay, hide

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

202

Will Ogilvie

The Bundle In The Shawl

In all the sorrow in the street that surges round us like a sea, in all the pity of bare feet, in all the pain of poverty, there seems to me no sadder sight

honour, lost, shame, sin, share

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

204

Will Ogilvie

Handicapped!

Life's race for all is even-lapped to watching eyes it seems; But how we may be handicapped the wide world never dreams, ah! well for those whose lot is cast

past, demand, dead, renew, family

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

205

Will Ogilvie

Below The Moon

The sunflowers dip toward the west and prudence with the daylight dies, and ah! we love the wild loves best below the moon, Blue Eyes! Blue Eyes!

twine, cry, God, forgive, sorrow, regret

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

206

Will Ogilvie

A Dreamer Of Dreams

The song-thrush loves the laurel, the sone-chat haunts the broom, but the seagull must have room where the white drift spins ashore and the winds and waters quarrel

labour, dream, dragon, kiss, wine, river

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

207

Will Ogilvie

The City Of Grey Griefs

Somewhere, hid in our hearts, a city stands grey-mossed with all the sorrow of the years, and broken-arched with love's unclasping hands and mortared stone to stone with bitter tears.

dead, god, peace, cruel love

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

208

Will Ogilvie

Laughter

Lend us Laughter, O gods, for our life is but vain; We are bruised by tis rods, we are galled by its chain. What doth patience avail, or the strength to endure

sleep, throne, sore, armour

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

208

Will Ogilvie

Tears

These are the blown spin-drift that is lashed from the face of the waters that cover the soul with care; These are the children of sorrow, these are the sons and the daughters

despair, desolate, cliff, conforter

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

209

Will Ogilvie

Love Ridden

He was sweated along in the heat all day, he was tied to the fence for hours, just became someone had something to say to a girl in the burnt sun-flowers.

hide, wrong, chestnut, horse, home

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

210

Will Ogilvie

Darrell

So I've taken his hundred notes in the end, and now, as I turn them over, I feel like a man who's been false to a friend, or has broken his troth to a lover.

dream, light, force, horse, worth

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

211

Will Ogilvie

His Gippsland Girl

Now, money was scarce an work was slack and love to his heart crept in, and he rode away on the Northern track to war with the World and wine; and he vowed by the locket upon his breast

pearl, free, union, shadows, flood

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

213

Will Ogilvie

The Township Lights

With laughter and love-spells and witch-eyes of blue a girl in the township is waiting for you. There is nothing that thrills like a handclasp of hers, so bridle your best horse and buckle your spurs;

smile, sky, die, creed, disporve, love

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

214

Will Ogilvie

Home By The Stars

When the lights of the township burn faintly and far and the noise of the dancers dies down at our back, then we coax a red glow to our final cigar, and the grey cocks his ears as he picks up the track

ban, forget, sea, sing, gate, dim, timber

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

216

Will Ogilvie

The Campfires

You may look in vain for the ashes of my campfires lone and apart, where the girls with the golden sashes brought rest to a rover's heart. In the calm and

fairy stories, lonely, sorrow, golden, reckless

Saddle For A Throne

FC 11 O-13

217

Will Ogilvie

Good-Bye

Here, on the broken strings of Love's mute harp, across the withered flowers of all dead dreams, give me your hand and take my last farewell! One glance of love!-the last from those dear eyes!

embrace, western sky, dark, love, sweeet, bitterness