Graham of the Outfall'o
A poem about Davis Station inspired by “Clancy of the Overflow” by Banjo Patterson
I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down by Marchants Landing, years ago,
He was expeditioning when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
Just "on spec", addressed as follows, "Graham, of the Outfall’o".
And an answer came directed by a skua unexpected,
Cawing to me at my dozer window, having returned from wintering afar
T’was the bird that there spoke it, and verbatim I will quote it:
"Graham no longer works at Davis, and we don't know where he are."
Now I’m living out my wildest fancy, as Graham did when I was in in-fancy
Heading out hagging “down the Ellis” where the winter diesos go
Where the sastrugi lumps are bringing, the katabatics toward me singing
For the Expo's life has pleasures that the LQ folk never know.
And the Fjords hath friends to meet me, and their kindly flippers greet me
from the Weddell seals and penguins Adelie and Emperors
And I see the vision splendid of the snow-covered plateau extended,
And at night the wond'rous glory of the Southern Continent’s auroras.
I imagine sitting in Australia in a dingy little office, where a fringy
co-worker struggles feebly with a sea of emails and KPIs tall,
In the foetid air listening to grizzling of managers and other patrons of the city
Through open window conversation floating, snippets of the overheard phone call
And in place of that boring prattle, I can hear the machine tracks rattle
Of the Hagglunds and snow groomers now that winter is relieved
And the dinner bell quite inviting, tells of meals surely delighting
heard fitfully across Channel 7 amongst sparkies calls of “Alarm Received”
But the season end starts to daunt me, and October starts to haunt me
As the Icebreaker looks to bring another crew to have a taste
And their eager eyes look beady, and their voices sound quite reedy
On the teams calls to and fro, as they prepare for the season to be faced
And I somehow rather fancy that despite circumstances chancy,
That I will to return to Davis for a season, but perhaps only my name will go
Maybe immortalised eternal by the logbook and hut journal
Or forevermore a signpost like “Graham, of The Outfall’o”.
Adam Goddard - Plant Operator
