DAD
by Gerard Zochling
Worked
Bringing up the family
in transport
And stories
And cash
He was a straight psychedelic
Australian
Born in Austria
He let me ride with him
In his taxi
The first person
To show me the horizon
And how you can fly
Over it with humour
He wore long socks
Over chicken legs
He had gold teeth
Which he gave to my sister
But he left me
With more gold than I know
What to do with
You should have seen
How he treated people
And still does
He trades in the most exquisite love
Help full of judgement
Yet love without fail
A heart as big as the Old Labor Party
He’s my light on the hill
And will forever be
But when he’s got the Shits
You pay for it like you will never ever forget it
You should meet his friends
They love him
He’s got one helluva story
But he taught me
This
Always go to places you have never been
Even though it hurts
And he didn’t teach me this with words
I saw him in action
And I only saw a bit
Now I’m feeling it
His trade
Fitter and Turner
Says it all
He provided a good place
for poetry to begin
For I will never forget
Him
“Gerard,
Wherever you are
And whatever you are doing
The meter is always running.”
Great read, Gerard, I particularly loved “He was a straight psychedelic Australian Born in Austria” and also the very last par.
I enjoyed watching you play footy for the all-conquering Ainslie of the 1990s (not that I was a Tricolours supporter).
Lovely work. Enjoyed that.
Well done.