THE TREE-CHANGERS

In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy (and Nancy)

Gone a wine-making up to Mudgee where all the tree-changers go,

Or are they doing permaculture? Not just sure of their fancy,

Only their life has pleasures that the city folk never know.

 

I am sitting in my dingy office in the dusty, dirty city,

Listening to meaningless talks from the next door jerk,

Oops, I’ve missed another deadline, oh what a pity!

Now to head home on trains which rarely ever work.

 

And I somehow fancy that I’d like to change with Clancy (and Nancy),

Have a home among the gum trees where the seasons come and go,

But I guess they’ll be out there till they go to ‘greener’ pastures,

And I’ll stay where I am and watch my in-tray overflow.

 

(Author’s note: Apologies to Australian poet Banjo Paterson for using some lines from ‘Clancy of the Overflow’)