LESSON 9 THE TEAMS

THE TEAMS

This poem was written by Henry Lawson (1867-1923), one of Australia's greatest poets and story-writers. He loved to write of the country and the people away inland—the Outback.

A CLOUD of dust on the long, white road,

And the teams go creeping on

Inch by inch with the weary load;

And by the power of the green-hide ［1］ goad

The distant goal is won.

With eyes half-shut to the blinding dust,

And necks to the yokes ［2］ bent low,

The beasts are pulling as bullocks must;

And the shining tires might almost rust,

While the spokes are turning slow.

With face half-hidneath a broad-brimmed hat

That shades from the heat's white waves,

And shouldered whip with its green-hide plait,

The driver plods with a gait like that

Of his weary, patient slaves.

He'll sometimes pause as a thing of form

In front of a settler's door,

And ask for a drink, and remark, "It's warm,"

Or say, "There are signs of a thunderstorm";

But he seldom utters more.

But the rains are heavy on roads like these;

And, fronting his lonely home,

For weeks together, the settler sees

The teams bogged down to the axletrees ［3］ ,

Or ploughing the sodden loam.

And then, when the roads are at their worst,

The bushman's children hear

The cruel blows of the whips reversed;

While bullocks pull as their hearts would burst,

And bellow with pain and fear.

And thus, with little of joy or rest,

Are the long, long journeys done;

And thus—'tis a cruel war at the best—

Is distance fought in the mighty West,

And the lonely battles won.

—HENRY LAWSON

* * *

［1 ］ green-hide: Whip of untanned hide.

［2 ］ yokes: The wooden pieces by which oxen are connected in pairs.

［3 ］ axletree: Axle; the pole on which a wheel turns.