Byron Musing
This verse was written after an inspiring visit to the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival in Northern NSW, August 2013
Aqua water, golden sand, lighthouse beaming
Crystals and Maseratis, side by side, gleaming
Cappuccinos, chai latte, soy,
Tofu, haloumi, the lot
Not a Macca’s in sight on any town plot
It’s Byron
It’s Festival time, the literati are in town
Peter Carey, Robert Drewe, even Peter FitzSimons, like a giant of the race
The locals front up, Kerry O’Brien, Mungo MacCallum, and even Mick O’Regan
It doesn’t matter who you are, as long as you’re vegan
It’s Byron
New faces with old-fashioned names like Hannah Kent and Hannabeth Luke grace the stage
Thrilling the crowds with their books of gruesome trials on each page
But the comedians keep the laughs coming, sneering Judith Lucy and dizzy Denise Scott
And there’s always glum Leunig to keep our consciences hot
It’s Byron
There are oohs and aahs for luscious Luka Lesson and his poems
And twitches and guffaws for David Astle with his puzzles and squares
Politicians steal the limelight and journalists probe through the right channels
But really only of worth are Simon Crean, Maxine McKew and the panels
It’s Byron
If it’s a song you want, there’s Archie Roach and Paul Kelly
But don’t rely on them for words, oh dear, not their day to be on fire
No stories to tell, no words to inspire
But most important of all there’s a cheer and a clap for all those hard working people who read
For without them, it’s true, how would a writer succeed
That was Byron