Homer Mallow or “Marshy” to his friends
was a very accomplished poet
his preferred topics were politics and sport
although on reading him you wouldn’t know it

"Marshy" loved a dig at the pollies 
as much as he loved a pokie or a flutter
he liked to dig deep into the issues of the day 
in a recent interview his mum said, 
“It could have been his bread and butter!”

His political commentary definitely had merit
this one was a favourite 
how could you ignore his most sophisticated poem 
called “What Scott?”for which he was best known
when Morrison was PM
Marshy characterised the man as an incompetent dog
he followed with a pearler of a  rhyme
saying the PM was as useful as a hopless frog
I’m sure you dear reader can spot the clever double meaning

Unfortunately, Marshy will never be recorded amongst the great Australian poets
it’s enough to make you weep
much of the exercise book he kept his writing in was used 
(in the backyard dunny)
while he was away from home for the first time crotching sheep

However, looking back through a rediscovered school text book scrawling 
certainly reveals a lost talent
a heart of poetic gold and an ear for a great hook
found at the local Salvos Opp Shop 
many written on the hop
hidden gems were revealed in the pages of these books, such as
“Beatrice Kennedy has a nice arse
any day now I’ll make a pass”
to set the record straight
the Beatrice Kennedy in question of the twelfth grade 
denies any pass was ever made. 

We will never know exactly what Marshy could have accomplished 
he died in an explosion in that very same dunny 
while visiting his parents between crotches. 

The Coroner’s findings indicate this was caused 
by ignition of an unexplained build up of gas. 
Not one known for straining at his jobs, 
Marshy was known to light up the odd ciggie 
while waiting for things to happen. 

RIP Marshy, may you get to continue 
writing on that great dunny in the sky. 

With deference to the once marvellous Fred Dagg (aka John Clarke)