The Road to Hogan's Gap
Now look, you see, it’s this way like,
You cross the broken bridge
And run the crick down till you strike
The second right-hand ridge.
The track is hard to see in parts,
But still it’s pretty clear;
There’s been two Injin hawkers’ carts
Along that road this year.
Well, run that right-hand ridge along—
It ain’t, to say, too steep—
There’s two fresh tracks might put you wrong
Where blokes went out with sheep.
But keep the crick upon your right,
And follow pretty straight
Along the spur, until you sight
A wire and sapling gate.
Well, that’s where Hogan’s old grey mare
Fell off and broke her back;
You’ll see her carcase layin’ there,
Jist down below the track.
And then you drop two mile, or three,
It’s pretty steep and blind;
You want to go and fall a tree
And tie it on behind.
And then you pass a broken cart
Below a granite bluff;
And that is where you strike the part
They reckon pretty rough.
But by the time you’ve got that far
It’s either cure or kill,
So turn your horses round the spur
And face ’em up the hill.
For look, if you should miss the slope
And get below the track,
You haven’t got the whitest hope
Of ever gettin’ back.
An’ half way up you’ll see the hide
Of Hogan’s brindled bull;
Well, mind and keep the right-hand side,
The left’s too steep a pull.
And both the banks is full of cracks;
An’ just about at dark
You’ll see the last year’s bullock tracks
Where Hogan drew the bark.
The marks is old and pretty faint—
And grown with scrub and such;
Of course the track to Hogan’s ain’t
A road that’s travelled much.
But turn and run the tracks along
For half a mile or more,
And then, of course, you can’t go wrong—
You’re right at Hogan’s door.
When first you come to Hogan’s gate
He mightn’t show, perhaps;
He’s pretty sure to plant and wait
To see it ain’t the traps.
I wouldn’t call it good enough
To let your horses out;
There’s some that’s pretty extra rough
Is livin’ round about.
It’s likely if your horses did
Get feedin’ near the track,
It’s goin’ to cost at least a quid
Or more to get them back.
So, if you find they’re off the place,
It’s up to you to go
And flash a quid in Hogan’s face—
He’ll know the blokes that know.
But listen—if you’re feelin’ dry,
Just see there’s no one near,
And go and wink the other eye
And ask for ginger beer.
The blokes come in from near and far
To sample Hogan’s pop;
They reckon once they breast the bar
They stay there till they drop.
On Sundays you can see them spread
Like flies around the tap.
It’s like that song “The Livin’ Dead”
Up there at Hogan’s Gap.
They like to make it pretty strong
Whenever there’s a charnce;
So when a stranger comes along
They always holds a dance.
There’s recitations, songs, and fights—
A willin’ lot you’ll meet.
There’s one long bloke up there recites,
I tell you—he’s a treat.
They’re lively blokes all right up there,
It’s never dull a day.
I’d go meself if I could spare
The time to get away.
. . . . .
The stranger turned his horses quick.
He didn’t cross the bridge;
He didn’t go along the crick
To strike the second ridge;
He didn’t make the trip, because
He wasn’t feeling fit.
His business up at Hogan’s was
To serve him with a writ.
He reckoned if he faced the pull
And climbed the rocky stair,
The next to come might find his hide
A land-mark on the mountain side,
Along with Hogan’s brindled bull
And Hogan’s old grey mare!
poem by Andrew Barton Paterson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Happy Hogan’s Hotel
Welcome to Happy Hogan’s Hotel
with a bedpan under the bed
for when the call of nature calls
in the middle of the night.
We would not like you to get
cold tootsies walking on the floor
or stumble about in the dark
looking for the toilet door.
We include a tin of air freshener
in case the air gets noxious too
and a box of matches so you can wee straight
and not across the floor.
If you do, it will leak through the ceiling
and onto the person on the floor below
and they might not be happy
lying in a soggy bed.
Welcome to the Happy Hogan’s Hotel
your needs are what we happily cater for
and any complaint will be dealt with quickly
in the alley around the back,
it is quite painless and it is also free.
We’ve never had any complaints
after they see the sumo wrestler
whose job is to sort them out.
Welcome to the Happy Hogan’s Hotel
and we hope you like your stay
the atmosphere here is always cheerful
as any prison can be.
If you don’t want to visit
then you know just what to do.
When you are asked to pay your fine
just do it on time
or you to can join us
at the Happy Hogan’s Hotel.
17 October 2009
poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Little Worn Out Pony
There's a little worn-out pony this side of Hogan's shack
With a snip upon his nuzzle and a mark upon his back;
Just a common little pony is what most people say,
But then of course they've never heard what happened in his day:
I was droving on the Leichhardt with a mob of pikers wild,
When this tibby little pony belonged to Hogan's child.
One night it started raining – we were camping on a rise,
When the wind blew cold and bleakly and thunder shook the skies;
The lightning cut the figure eight around the startled cattle,
Then down there fell torrential rains and then began a battle.
In a fraction of an instant the wild mob became insane,
Careering through the timber helter-skelter for the plain.
The timber fell before them like grass before a scythe,
And heavy rain in torrents poured from the grimly blackened sky;
The mob rushed ever onward through the slippery sodden ground,
While the men and I worked frantically to veer their heads around;
And then arose an awful cry – it came from Jimmy Rild,
For there between two saplings straight ahead was Hogan's child.
I owned not man or devil, I had not prayed since when,
But I called upon the blessed Lord to show His mercy then;
I shut my eyes and ground my teeth, the end I dared not see
Great God! The cattle – a thousand head – were crashing through the trees.
"God pity us bush children in our darkest hour of need,"
Were the words I prayed although I followed neither church or creed.
Then my right-hand 'man was shouting, the faithful Jimmy Rild,
"Did you see it, Harry, see the way he saved that child?"
"Saved! Saved, did you say?" and I shot upright with a bound,
"Yes, saved," he said, "indeed old man, the child is safe and sound.
I was feeling pretty shaky and was gazing up the track,
Just then a pony galloped, the kid hopped on its back.
"A blinding Bash of lightning then the thunder's rolling crack;
With two hands clasped upon his mane he raced towards the shack."
"Good heavens, man," I shouted then, "if that is truly so,
To blazes with the cattle, to the shanty we must go."
We reached Bill Hogan's shanty in fifteen minutes' ride,
Then left our horses standing and wildly rushed inside.
The little child was there unhurt but shivering with fear,
And Hogan told us, "Yes, thank God, there's the pony brought her here."
There's a little worn-out pony just this side of Hogan's shack
With a snip upon his nuzzle and a mark upon his back;
Just a common little pony is what most people say,
But I doubt if there's his equal in the pony world today.
poem by Anonymous Oceania
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
To all my little Hulkamaniacs, say your prayers, take your vitamins and you will never go wrong.
quote by Hulk Hogan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I didn't get into entertainment until I was like 31. I didn't star in a movie until I was 46.
quote by Paul Hogan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I couldn't wait for the sun to come up the next morning so that I could get out on the course again.
As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.
Come and say G'day!
quote by Paul Hogan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I learn something new about the game almost every time I step on the course.
I enjoy being part of the entertainment industry, although I'm the laziest person that I've met yet in this business.
quote by Paul Hogan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.
I'm glad I brought this course, this monster, to its knees.
Well, there's nothing strange about Americans as a whole. But, Angelinos are different!
quote by Paul Hogan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Hopefully I can become the Babe Ruth of the World Wrestling Federation and be the champion at the same time.
quote by Hulk Hogan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
We're probably the opposite of the Osbournes. We run a very tight ship.
quote by Hulk Hogan
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The ultimate judge of your swing is the flight of the ball.
I play golf with friends sometimes, but there are never friendly games.
Pretty Boy
I lie awake at night
See things in black and white
I've only got you inside my mind
You know you have made me blind
I lie awake and pray
That you will look my way
I have all this longing in my heart
I knew it right from the start
Oh my pretty pretty boy I love you
Like I never ever loved no one before you
Pretty pretty boy of mine
Just tell me you love me too
Oh my pretty pretty boy
I need you
Oh my pretty pretty boy I do
Let me inside
Make me stay right beside you
I used to write your name
And put it in a frame
And sometime I think I hear you call
Right from my bedroom wall
You stay a little while
And touch me with your smile
And what can I say to make you mine
To reach out for you in time
Oh my pretty pretty boy I love you
Like I never ever loved no one before you
Pretty pretty boy of mine
Just tell me you love me too
Oh my pretty pretty boy
I need you
Oh my pretty pretty boy I do
Let me inside
Make me stay right beside you
[BRIDGE]
Oh pretty boy
Say you love me too
Oh my pretty pretty boy I love you
Like I never ever loved no one before you
Pretty pretty boy of mine
Just tell me you love me too
Oh my pretty pretty boy
I need you
Oh my pretty pretty boy I do
Let me inside
Make me stay right beside you
song performed by by M2M from Shades Of Purple
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
If we could have just screwed another head on his shoulders, he would have been the greatest golfer who ever lived.
There is no similarity between golf and putting; they are two different games, one played in the air, and the other on the ground.