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In memory of my father.
Murray Herbert Rodger
November 1929 - December 2007
Until the last you gave me what a father could,
with head held high you praised me for all my life of good
but with each breath I wished for one more given day
that cherished words unspoken of longing what to say
Nestling close to feel your warmth and found a wrinkled hand
took and held it knowing once it toiled upon the land
for just a moment in my mind I saw the gentle breeze
and heard you whistle for a dog drift over hills and trees
Tussock waving, swishing then above the musters bark
and laying down to listen hard the warbled bird skylark
I never saw you ride a horse but down there'd come a bike
with Pete and Bill upon their steeds to race just as they liked
The sheep all gathered in to shear its now for scones and tea
we've baked and jammed the goodies Paula, mum and me
Speck he is a panting your loyal dog comes round
hoping for a morsel that's thrown out on the ground
There's other jobs we had to do that couldn't wait for rain
like ploughing up the paddock and turning sods again
then planting out the Swedes or wheat and barley grain
or burning heaps of gorse to watch it grow again
In winter there was feed to toss from trailer stacked up full
the frost and snow so deep a tractor would us pull
our gumboots coats and mittens a scarf we'd knitted too
a pocket knife in ready hand to cut the twine right through
We had our days of leisure then, to take up summer sun
with picnics by the river and cricket games for fun
you'd set us in the caravan but home you'd go to work
'till tedding hay was bailed with farmers happy smirks
You always helped the people, who lived both near and far,
cousins friends and neighbours who didn't have a car
you loved to stand and talk when gathered in a hall
attend a meeting just for men or anything at all
Fishing was just what you loved with Bonzo off you'd go
to catch a trout for dinner the laughter loud would flow
with Bob and John you'd whitebait, up rivers fords and streams
to camp in misty mountains like dreams it all now seems
I've hugged so close your warmth and felt your face on mine
your hair to touch with fingers white silk it was so fine
you soothed when told sometimes of all my childhood woes
respect, advice and sadness a father always knows
But as I listen to your words I have a thought in store
a love of life and nature shared how could I ask for more
the time has come to let you go you know as I do too
but father's words will always be what makes me proud and true.
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