Ten years later, scrub-cutting, milking
in a cowshed rank with shit and sour milk
and when is there ever time for girls?The old bastard builds himself a shack
as though he’s too high-falutin’ to live
with his wife and kids.
The story of my grandfather and how mean he was has been like a family echo for many years. This poem is my attempt to capture what it must have been like for my father, the burden of the farm debt, and the way this story is part of us all.
Sherryl Clark is a writer and poet, who has published children’s books, poetry and been the co-editor of Poetrix magazine for 20 years. After teaching writing for many years, she is now focusing on her own writing, and especially her crime fiction.
You can find the latest on her website.
Acknowledgements:
Memoria was written, produced, edited and presented by Natalie V.
Jack was written and read by Sherryl Clark. The story was sound edited by Jen Farrow.
Music in this episode was by Blue Dot Sessions, Sage the Hunter, When in the West and The Envelope.
Illustrations by Peta Manning. Her book, See Me Doodle, is out now.
Jack
AFL Game By Tonant, CC0 1.0
Applause By Digifishmusic CC BY 3.0
Bell System Ringer Model 687A (8-70) By FreqMan CC BY 3.0
Building By Blukotek CC0 1.0
Car Start Drive Away By Kbnevel CC0 1.0
Cow Shed with Birds By swiftoid CC0 1.0
Failed car start By Tatianafeudal CC0 1.0
Hand digging dirt, leaves crunch By SpliceSound CC0 1.0
Leche By Camilo_Vargas13 CC0 1.0
Path Clearing 2 By Benboncan CC BY 3.0
Playing in the crib By NoiseCollector CC BY 3.0
Rocking Chair By WingsOfIrony CC BY-NC 3.0
Scapes By Silent Partner CC0 1.0
School bus old rattly idle various diesel truck semi dump By Kyles CC0 1.0
Smacks By DineoMichelle CC BY-NC 3.0
Shoveling By Andersmmg CC BY 3.0
Sunshine Coast Farm 02 By Theneedle.tv CC0 1.0
Tractor landfill lifting By Radwoc CC0 1.0
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