Classic and Contemporary Poetry
HOLY DAN, by ANONYMOUS First Line: It was in the queensland drought Last Line: And holy dan was drowned Subject(s): Animals;death;drought;horses;piety; "dead, The; | ||||||||
IT was in the Queensland drought; And over hill and dell, No grassthe water far apart, All dry and hot as hell. The wretched bullock teams drew up Beside a water-hole They'd struggled on through dust and drought For days to reach this goal. And though the water rendered forth A rank, unholy stench, The bullocks and the bullockies Drank deep their thirst to quench. Two of the drivers cursed and swore As only drivers can. The other one, named Daniel, Best known as Holy Dan, Admonished them and said it was The Lord's all-wise decree; And if they'd only watch and wait, A change they'd quickly see. 'Twas strange that of Dan's bullocks Not one had gone aloft, But this, he said, was due to prayer And supplication oft. At last one died but Dan was calm, He hardly seemed to care; He knelt beside the bullock's corpse And offered up a prayer. "One bullock Thou has taken, Lord, And so it seemeth best. Thy will be done, but see my need And spare to me the rest!" A month went by. Dan's bullocks now Were dying every day, But still on each occasion would The faithful fellow pray, "Another Thou has taken, Lord, And so it seemeth best. Thy will be done, but see my need, And spare to me the rest!" And still they camped beside the hole, And still it never rained, And still Dan's bullocks died and died, Till only one remained. Then Dan broke downgood Holy Dan The man who never swore. He knelt beside the latest corpse, And here's the prayer he prore. "That's nineteen Thou has taken, Lord, And now You'll plainly see You'd better take the bloody lot, One's no damn good to me." The other riders laughed so much They shook the sky around; The lightning flashed, the thunder roared, And Holy Dan was drowned. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SITTING BULL IN SERBIA by WILLIAM JAY SMITH TO THE EXCELLENT ORINDA by PHILO PHILIPPA EPIGRAM OCCASIONED BY CIBBER'S VERSES IN PRAISE OF NASH: 1 by ALEXANDER POPE THE GIFT OF THE GODS by JOHN GODFREY SAXE TO CHRISTOPHER NORTH by ALFRED TENNYSON BEAU NASH by CHARLES TENNYSON TURNER BEAU NASH AND THE ROMAN, OR THE TWO ERAS by CHARLES TENNYSON TURNER TIS A LITTLE JOURNEY by ANONYMOUS |
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