A small poem in Honour of Merv Lilley's passing at 96

IN MEMORY OF MERV

Merv’s riding down

for his cremation. He wouldn’t

miss it for all the sugar cane

in Queensland. All the family

will be there and people

he only half recognises. Will

the undertaker ladies have

a hitching rail and safe storage

for his saddle-bags? They’re new,

you know. They were on

Merv’s last shopping list: 'I need

pack saddle with a couple of splitbags –

also a .22 rifle to shoot whatever...'

All the cane fires of Queensland

couldn’t burn Merv’s rage out

but now all his energy goes

up in smoke in one last blaze.

Don’t call the wallopers or

the fireys. Merv’s just going out

in one last blaze of glory.