Musings and photographs from a man in a little house by a river, on a little island at the bottom of the world.

Thursday 11 April 2013

The Ballad Of Tessa Tyger and Little Ford Man

I know a girl, and I know her well
There is no one braver, this side of the sea
All 'round the southern oceans, bells sing her name
Poppet Tessa Tyger, hero for troubled times

Heir to Boadicea, her Pict blood runs deep
A scion against all that is evil, soul so pristine and pure
Over this island, her concern patrols nightly strong
Keeping away our nightmares, sprinkling dreams with love.

A call came in - Tessa awoke, rose up
From far away Merseylands, trouble, she heard, had a-brewed
'Those gnarlish gnus', wailed doughty Grandma L
'They're at it again, will they ever, ever learn!'

'Rob Roy Daddy Bear – Awake. I have to leave
The gnus, the gnarlish gnus, are a-stealing once more
Taking little devils, a-crunching and munching most cruelly
I'll ride to the rescue - please don my gear with haste, virtuous Daddy Bear.'

Well Rob Roy Daddy Bear fetched the wooden sword, and paper shield
In colander armour he garbed his precious, precious girl
He knew her Valkyrie heart was a heart so very, very strong, but
She'd need help this day, against a heartless, pitiless foe

He remembered those times, long past, in days of yore
Days of striding the Highlands, overseeing the Glens Gordon
To battle he went – to rescue Cackle Mummy, a dragon he had fought
Pictured above mantelpiece- his courage, he knew, now was handed down

'You'll not fight this enemy alone, my gallant and beautiful girl
You need to make the call, and you know to whom you must turn
I'll saddle up Old Whitebelly, your fearless feathered totem
Speak to him, that Ford Man Bryn – you and he are team, one beyond bold'

On Roland's flanks, renowned of spirit, plucky Bryn made ready
A sturdy lance, his noble stead, a fursty flying ferret
He was off to make mealmeat of those frightful, frightful terrors
'Gnarlish gnus,' he yelled, 'let those poor, poor baby devils be!'

Over the hills of Aberdeen, Poppet and Ford Man swooped
Together, aboard their valiant and hearty beasts, keeping oh so alert
On Old Whitebelly, the eagle, and Cyrano, trusted fursty ferret
They scoured the land, every inch – searching, searching for a sign

In a clearing far below they saw – those dreaded gnus had gathered
To do dastardly deeds on quivering prey, unprotected
Mandibles a-masticating, they were preparing to mightily munch,
With bloody feast in the offing, no focus around did they hold

From the skies high above, down plunged our darling, daring duo
With lance gripped tight, and wooden sword held high
Together, Old Whitebelly and Cyrano, a blur in motion
The gnarlish gnus had no chance to defend, beaten before and beaten again

Up to the Plateaux they were smoted, belted and pummelled
The little devils plucked up, to sit astride those mighty beasts
A feisty, fursty ferret, and Old Whitebelly, warrior avian
By Tessa, and the Ford Man, back in their dens, so gently were they set

Hooray. Hooray for braveheart Bryn, of Sheffield steel you are made
Hooray. Hooray for Tessa Tyger, no more will gnarlish gnus go out to steal
With those little devils in their mummy's care, the bush, our bush, is secure again
And with Grandma L a-waving farewell – home, to back home, was now the go

Our Poppet of courage unbounded, with our ever staunch Ford Man
Over Kimberley Town they did part, for back they needed to soar
To exhausted slumbers so profound and so earnt, so steadfastly
Had they striven, to make our Tasmania safe, as safe as can be

Rob Roy Daddy Bear and Cackle Mummy dear, ever so quietly
Tiptoed in and, hand in hand, did look down on the sleeping, sleeping child
They wondered of the glass ceilings she'd shatter one day too soon
And in their very being they knew, she was like no other

Their Poppet. Their Tessa. Their Tyger. Born into love
She of sparkling eye and brave, brave heart.
Their little girl – theirs to hold and to nurture,
And to teach, to thoroughly teach, all that is good and all that is just


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