O’Kadoke
My mate O’Kadoke’s an agreeable bloke,[1]
A right regular gent, stem to stern.
He can tell a good joke, and he’ll buy you a Coke,
And insists upon waiting his turn.
Anyone here will tell ya, O’Kadoke wouldn’t sell ya
A lemon, or a pig in a poke;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[1] The speaker of this poem is an Aussie, not a Harriet. (Though, coming to think of it just now, he could well be a Sheila, with very cruel parents.) We know he is an Aussie because he uses the words “mate,” “bloke,” and “fella.” Also, Professor Pennywhistle says he is.
That’s great! I like the footnotes too! They are almost as good as the poems themselves for entertainment value, and will appeal to a broader audience with their humour. Your use of bookends is lovely! You answer the riddle with the last line. Very clever poem.
Deborah Gregson
‘How ya going mate?’ That should be another great starter for a more expansive Aussie tale. There is a very humourous (& fanciful) story about how the term ‘howyagoingmate’ is connected with the ‘true blue’ convict heritage of the homeland. I’ll tell you privately only how it came into the Oz slang lexicon.