Whipper Snapper

MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY

http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com.au/

WHIPPER SNAPPER

When we view the Jumbo Jets

Flying up on high,

Taking up a lot of room

In the bright blue sky,

We tend to think that man's progressed,

A least with aviation,

Almost to a point of excellence,

A certain culmination.

Carrying thousands every day,

Like fortresses up above;

When we  think of aeroplanes,

That's what we're thinking of.

But when we see this whipper snapper,

 This cheeky little fellow,

With his rather flimsy wings,

Painted a cheery yellow,

We realise we've not progressed

Very far from the Brothers Wright,

When it comes to mimicking the birds

And aping them in flight.

This little country work-horse,

Maybe used to spray the crops,

Used for buzzing around the place

And doing little hops,

Is much more a direct descendent

Of the flying machines of yore

Than all those 4711s

However high they soar.

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BEYOND COMPREHENSION!

Seen on the wall of a friend!

Painted for him when he was a child!

He is the child in the picture.

The artist is the adult!

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Nowadays,

Such an illustration

Would be beyond belief!

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Were we really so blind, back then?

Were we unaware

Of the black,

Ill-smelling,

Poisonous stuff

We were taking into our lungs?

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Was smoking a rite of passage?

Did little children

Long to emulate

Adult sophistication?

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The stupid smoke even now!

But did we actually

Advertise,

Encourage,

And

Trumpet

Our filthy fixation?

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Indeed we did!

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And I ask myself

What are we doing today

That future generations

Will blanch at?

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Will they gasp

When they hear of our fat intake?

Our computer fixation?

Our skinny models?

Our roads clogged with cars?

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Will they say

'It's beyond our comprehension!'

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PS

We recently returned from a short holiday in Tasmania. For those of you who have never heard of it it is the island floating to the South of the continent. It has a much more 'English' climate than the rest of Australia. As luck would have it, though, it was very warm and sunny while we were there, and it was raining at home in Newcastle! We had two nights in Sydney before we flew to Launceston. (So many names are of English derivation!)

We drove to Watson's Bay in Sydney and caught the ferry back to the city. I love this view.

Someone snapped us on the trip.

I was pleased with this shot of people climbing The Bridge. See the little dots?

When we got to Tasmania we found our BandB was quite historic (by Australian standards). It was built in 1915 and I don't think many improvements had been made since then!!!!! 'Nuff said!

It was good to see some Autumn tints; they are rare in our home-town.

And these greenhouse blooms were more lush because of the climate.

We did a lot of things......a river cruise, a visit to the museum, some shopping for winter clothes, some eating-out, a trip to the famous Gorge etc etc but we suffered a camera malfunction so we didn't get many good shots! This one of Malcolm, at Cradle Mountain, isn't crash hot. But I still think he resembles Edmund Hilary at the peak!

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