Beef in Pastry
I’d climbed Mount Wellington,
Hip hip hooray!
I’d climbed Mount Wellington,
It only took all day.
Woke up and got dressed
A bus, I thought I'd catch.
But it’s Regatta Day today
So I’d have to wait two hours for that.
“It's no worry at all”, I think,
“I’ll walk down there instead.”
Only eight k’s down the road to the hill,
A little stroll I would not dread.
I stroll along the pavement
Through Hobartarian streets
I stop at a residential fruit tree
And steal some nectarines.
Arrive at famous Fern Tree,
The start of the uphill climb.
“Don’t need to follow maps”, I think
“I’ve climbed high many times.”
Walk along the path
For an hour or two or three.
No map in sight,
No map that I can see.
And I’m still at low altitude,
I haven't ascended far.
And I am so close to the road
I can hear all passing cars.
Have some lunch sitting on a rock,
Don't know where I am.
Should I turnaround now?
I’m lost, should I change the plan?
No. I walk further and further
Along the path I follow for five
Minutes more, then I see it,
Then I see a sign.
Not a figurative one, a real one
A map showing my current location
It says I’ve walked six kilometres away,
Six k’s in the wrong direction.
I walk fast, fast as I can
Back along the path
Trying hard to get back fast,
To get back fast to the start.
I get back to the foot of the hill
To start the climb again
The climb takes three and a half hours,
The finally-found map I was searching for says.
“This wouldn't be at all a problem”, I think,
“On any other day.”
But the last bus leaves in under three hours,
Remember it's a public holiday today.
I take the risk, I climb the climb
I trust my intuition
On the day I’d already been lost for three hours
Because of my "intuition".
I reach the top in under an hour,
I ran up a bit and staggered.
I’m covered in sweat, I’m hot and I’m tired,
My feet are in pain and I’m knackered.
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| Village idiot missing. If found, contact Scott - (02) 6277 7111 |
Take some photos, but I can’t see
Anything but my cold breath.
The sudden cold and the sudden wind
Hits me and I get warmly dressed.
Head back down, I run and clamber,
Though eventually get to the bus stop.
I get there early and I think to myself
That was ok.
