A new environmental poem…. (slightly modified from when first published).
by Des Pensable (c) 2016
My neighbor has a flash car and boat and is an important commercial banker,
He likes to flaunt his wealth, his pedigreed dog and is a bit of a loud mouthed wanker,
He’s only concerned about the stock exchange and how it’s continually changing,
He said the market is down and Aussie debt was up and it really needs rearranging,
He said the yanks are making fortunes from fracking, a type of unconventional gas mining,
We could do it all over Australia if the farmers and greenies would just stop whining,
He said … but I don’t want it my backyard mate, no not in my backyard
The mining company director was really happy, he’d secured another good deal.
The foreign shareholders would all agree to the payment of his bonuses with great zeal.
He wanted to build hundreds of coal seam gas mines in the middle of prime agricultural land.
He was going to flood the world with gas if the prices stayed as high as planned.
He wasn’t worried about the water needed, there was plenty deep underground.
He’d paid all the pollies quite well, but he was worried about greenies hanging around.
He thought … I don’t want them in my backyard mate, no not in my backyard.
The Pilliga farmer was unhappy, he’s just found out what the local council had planned,
They had agreed to a coal seam gas mining lease on the block adjacent to his land.
In panic he went to see his local MP, a fine country bred National party man.
His MP said there’s money to be made, we need to build CSG mines as fast as we can.
With Global Warming coming, there’ll be drought and your farm’s as good as dead.
I can’t help you at all, I’ve quit farming and welcomed the miners to my land instead
The farmer replied..but I don’t want them in my backyard mate, no not in my backyard.
The farmer studied up on coal seam gas mining and it soon became crystal clear,
It would pollute the underground water and poison the air for animals and people living near,
It would ruin the farming land for generations and speed up Global Warming as well,
It was invented by foreign investors for profit but makes the environment as toxic as Hell.
The farmer cried for help, the farm unions were deaf but the greenies heard of his plight
They rallied the city slickers and tree huggers; thousands came to help him fight
This is our farming land … we don’t want gas mining in our backyard mate, no not in our backyard.
The moral of this story is quite clear, when you see a greenie give him or her a hug and smile
Say thanks for your help in caring for our great land; I couldn’t understand you for a while
Now I realize your intentions were pure, I listened to the pollies and got the message wrong,
Those political bastards have sold us all out, there will be nothing left before long
Aussies all over this great land are all in the same boat, we must unite while we can,
We need to vote out all the corrupt pollies and create a national gas mining ban.
Australia is our backyard and we don’t want it in our back yard mate, no not in our back yard.
I think I’ll come out and join you protesting. I hope your pub hasn’t run out of beer. I might even vote Greens next election. What about you?
You might also like Dodgy Dick the Fracking Engineer
For other poems check out Des Pensable Poetry
If you like this poem tell a friend about it
