Poem Number 247 - Bi-Centennial Toothache - 2/2/1988

As Australia’s special once in a life time event,

Is celebrated by most Australians,

The aborigines show their disgust by silent protests,

Declared campsites along the shores of Sydney ‘their own’.

It must be easy for Australians to celebrate,

Celebrate ‘the making of a nation’, by whites.

It was the English and Europeans backgrounds,

That joined their champagne with a noise of cheer.

Whilst watching hundreds of thousands of people,

Camp, prepare and wait for the tall ships and first fleet arrive,

To see thousands of watercraft follow the ships in,

To see at night fireworks, that thousands wait to adore.

For most of the morning all along,

I have had a consistent toothache pain,

From one tooth to another spreading across my mouth,

Yet in two days time my four wisdom teeth will be pulled out.

And for a few days or a week,

There will be a pain that should decrease in my mouth,

A pain that I will have to wash, rinse and care,

For only rest and comfortness will replace what I have lost.

For yes, I care of Australia’s historical day,

But for crowded and crowded shoreline views,

Nothing seems to be representing the old storyline, except the new,

But for I at this moment have got a bi-centennial toothache.

For millions of dollars are being spent,

And yet with this country in deficit,

Our taxpayers are being splurged to more deficits,

For new lights, new streamers and also new balloons.

With Bob Hawke smiling (as his own tax is minor towards costs),

And Barry Unsworth is using the bi-centenary and the royals as his election scapegoat,

And glories of unpredicted uncertainties of self-glory for Barry,

Election fever is closer than expected and his fever is boxing.