Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE JUNGLE WALLAH, by BERTON BRALEY Poet's Biography First Line: The jungle wallah, he lives alone Last Line: When the jungle shall call him back. Subject(s): Animals; Jungles; Travel; Wilderness; Journeys; Trips | ||||||||
The Jungle Wallah, he lives alone Though boss of a thousand men And out in the heart of the Great Unknown In jungle and marsh and fen, He clears the path for the right of way, He builds to the proper grade And chivvies his coolies day by day To see that the steel is laid. The Jungle Wallah for months on end Must work with an alien race, Afar from kindred or kith or friend Alonein a lonely place. For he lives apart from the coolie crew Upholding the White Man's pride, It's his to see that the Job goes through Whatever the fates betide. The Jungle Wallah is autocrat And god of his coolie mob And nurse and doctor on top of that It's more than a Man's Size Job; With floods and fever and tropic sun With snakes, mosquitoes and flies And beasts he fights, till the work is done Or maybe until he dies. The Jungle Wallahhe coaxes, drives His chattering coolie band, He damns their souls and he saves their lives For the sake of the work in hand. In hot Malesia, in damp Siam The Philippines, Borneo, The road, the bridge and the river dam, Are samples he has to show. The Jungle Wallahhe dreams of Town Of London, New York, Paree, He curses the hot sun blazing down And vows when he once is free Of "fever, insects and coolie scum" He'll hit for the homeward track, But he knows in his heart of hearts he'll come When the jungle shall call him back. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...RICHARD, WHAT'S THAT NOISE? by RICHARD HOWARD LOOKING FOR THE GULF MOTEL by RICHARD BLANCO RIVERS INTO SEAS by LYNDA HULL DESTINATIONS by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN THE ONE WHO WAS DIFFERENT by RANDALL JARRELL THE CONFESSION OF ST. JIM-RALPH by DENIS JOHNSON SESTINA: TRAVEL NOTES by WELDON KEES TO H. B. (WITH A BOOK OF VERSE) by MAURICE BARING |
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