The Listening Week by C.J. Dennis

| No TrackBacks
This week, throughout the length and breadth of the Australian continent, wireless waves from both A and B class stations are broadcasting race descriptions and results, and myriads of ears are bent toward receiving sets.

This is the listening week of the year --
      Listening-in.
A-cock and alert is the national ear --
      Listening-in.
All over the land in the country towns,
From the back of the Leeuwin to Darling Downs,
Layers of "quids" or the odd half-crowns,
     They are listening-in.
 
On the far-flung farms they are round each set,
      Listening-in.
The work and the worry they all forget,
      Listening-in.
Wherever an aerial soars in space
To the Cup, or the Oaks or the Steeplechase,
To the roar of the ring and the lure of the race
   They are listening-in.
 
In the far outback there are sun-tanned men,
      Listening-in.
Where the woolshed stands by the drafting pen --
      Listening-in.
Old Dad's come in from the Ninety Mile;
He scored on the Cup and he wears a smile,
And he "reckons this game is well worth while" --
      So he's listening in.
 
To the edge of the desert the sound-waves go;
      And, listening-in,
Ned of the Overland, Saltbush Joe --
      Listening-in --
Recall the giants of years long past,
And the loneliness of these spaces vast;
But they reckon that life's worth living at last
      With this listening-in.

First published in The Herald, 8 November 1933

No TrackBacks

TrackBack URL: http://www.middlemiss.org/cgi-bin/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/2475

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Perry Middlemiss published on November 8, 2013 7:21 AM.

Euphemia Quade by C.J. Dennis was the previous entry in this blog.

Waiting by C.J. Dennis is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Categories

Powered by Movable Type 4.23-en