Burke & Wills
'Twas 1860, when sixteen men, decided to explore;
To trek across Australia, to reach the northern shore.
With a leader and surveyor, Robert Burke and William Wills;
They did think it would be easy, with their knowledge and their skills.
The chance of fame and two thousand pounds was not to be surpassed,
So they packed their camels, their horses and provisions to last.
"We'll be the first men through this desert, to leave a legacy,"
A telegraph line, railway route, inland sea apparently.
It was early in their journey when an eager Burke spoke out
Said he they moved too slowly, and his command they didn't doubt
He began to leave behind supplies, "'Twill make us travel quicker."
Though he knew little of the bushland, the mere city slicker
When at Menindie the impatient Burke dashed for Coopers Creek
He took with him a party of eight, each of their skills unique
After arriving they set up the depot and paused a while
For six weeks there was no sign of their companions, or a smile
'Twas then they made the final sprint, to cross the country at last
Burke, Wills, King and Gray set off to leave behind their nameless past
They battled the harsh barren desert and intense summer heat
Never quite knowing what they'd encounter or who they might meet
At last the Gulf came into view, beaches and sunshine alike
They stumbled gladly onto victory, worn out from their hike
And though they smiled like never before they knew what came ahead
There was the trip back to Coopers Creek, a journey they did dread
And so they gathered up their strength, and braced themselves to suffer
They told themselves with confidence, "Men don't come much tougher!"
Though they slowly became weaker, and Gray lay down and died
They buried him in a day; they couldn't leave him if they tried
Now they knew that Australia was harsh and unforgiving
And though it was so beautiful, it made for much hard living
Everything seemed worse when they returned, weary, to Coopers Creek
To find their friends had abandoned them, their outlook was quite bleak
To find their food they had to dig, three feet under the DIG tree
There they found their resources, and a letter addressed to thee
It told them how their friends did wait, for four months to no prevail
Then finally giving up all hope, they'd left to tell their tale
Now Burke and Wills and King looked at each other in sheer dismay
They knew they'd never catch them with their limbs in such a bad way
King was found by Aborigines, Burke and Wills slowly starved
Their bodies were frail, their eyes were drawn, and their faces felt carved
They tried to reach a cattle station, far away from there
It was then their friends returned, and didn't find the missing pair
They didn't search for very long, and were near sure they were dead
For they didn't check the DIG tree, where the two of them had said
'We're almost out of life and we are headed for the station,
You should have left us more supplies; for now we face starvation
As the searchers left for home, Burke and Wills went back to the creek
There they sat and wasted away, the first men to ever seek
The Gulf of Carpentaria, and to cross the sunburnt land
And though King was the successful one, his journey was quite grand
Burke and Wills will always be famous, for their silly blunder
And how they could have the courage to cross the land down under.
Another English Assessment- Australian Poetry Unit.
