Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged distractions, Dux, prayer, religion, responsibility, School Captain, TV Ban on May 24, 2012| 2 Comments »
The change,
New school, elevated responsibility,
School loyalty and student loyalty.
Somewhat resisted,
And enforced limiting of distractions,
No TV, no “treehouse gang” (or the like),
The Medal.
In gold letters on shiny maple honours board,
And medal awarded,
1967 Dux.
Gives me choice for high school.
Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged Assembly, School Captain, The Lord's Prayer on May 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »
“I’ve tried , Mr Smith,
I don’t know why I can’t remember it?”
The Headmaster is exasperated by
My continuing to read rather than recite
The Lord’s Prayer to assemblies.
Two terms, 25 readings.
We both have
Resigned to reading rather than reciting.
I’m very pleased.
Pressure relieved, absolved from guilt.
Note:
* This Short Memory relates to two earlier Short Memories. The first one was 91. Ignorance exposed, prayer answered and the second was 108. Encouragement or warning? Stop reading, start leading.
Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged club patrons, passers-by., scaring pedestrians, The Fat Man on May 13, 2012| 1 Comment »
Layers & layers of clothes.
… how many?
Heaps!**
Transformed skinny Phil into
Phil – He was skinny, athletic & loved to make fun – the perfect person to play … The Fat Man.
A beach ball with legs & arms.
“The Fat Man.”
Innocent pedestrians trigger his release
This screaming, screeching, demonic Tweedledee
Attacking …
Rushing down the driveway, final falling
Onto front lawn, turtle-like, legs, arms flapping ineffectively.
Pedestrians agog.
Monumental crack-up!
Notes & Extra:
* The Fat Man was an innovation on the activities described in Short Memory #129 – Unsuspecting, under-the-weather club patrons: fair game for fun. We were always looking to improve our efforts.
** Poor Phil, we put so many clothes on him that he was almost suffocating. We often had to frantically rush to get the layers off him. Mind you he played the part like he owned it and loved it, despite the discomfort. I wish we had filmed it, it was the funniest thing – I’m giggling right now just thinking about.
A few years later, Ian Anderson heard about “The Fat Man at 138” and wrote a song. Here is Jethro Tull still performing the song in 1999.
Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged pet dog on May 12, 2012| 2 Comments »
The dog door,
Needs use.
New addition to the family
Mixed, unknown parentage.
He slips and slides around the polished back-room floor.
Chewed shoes, house training blues
Generating anger, anxiety, and …
Cries of:
“Oh, he’s so cute!”
All white, one black eye.
Part corgi,
He is Lucky.
A mature Lucky.
Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged daily routine, lift to school, school lunch, squabbling on May 11, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Lunches packed, in schoolbags.
Pile into the car.
“Bags the front seat.”
“It’s my turn.”
“Bull!”
“Bull YOURSELF!”
“M-u-u-u-u-m!”
Seats settled, still a few punches & elbows.
Before we’re halfway,
Stephen’s eaten his “little lunch.”
His lunch gets done at recess.
And lunchtime is starve-time.
… routine repeats
and repeats
and …
Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged fans, Penrith Panthers, road games on May 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Sunday, trip to footy.
Bus leaves from outside club,
Dedicated fans travelling.
Today, cyclonic weather.
Empty seats aplenty
Arriving at Redfern Oval*
Umbrellas blown inside out.
Even the grandstand can’t shelter,
Redfern Oval Grandstand 1967
Panthers fans huddle together.
Souths fans admire our devotion.
We cheer.
We lose.
Long trip home.
Soaked, sad …
But staunch.
Note:
* This game late in the 1967 season at Redfern Oval had one of the smallest attendances (1,772) I’ve witnessed. The score was Souths 14 (T: Jones, Coote; G: Simms (4)) def Penrith 7 (T: Johnstone; G: Landers (2)).
Posted in 1 Guildford Rd, 10 Reserve St, 138 Station St, Nepean High School, Penrith Primary, Penrith South Primary, tagged bowling alley, misspent youth, pinball machines on May 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »
The Bowling Alley has
The real magnet for boys developing a misspent youth
Pinball Machines!
“Pinnies”.
Play the silver ball with crazy flipper fingers.
Unspent school lunch-money, odd-jobs, bottle redemptions, pocket money.
Finances lights, sounds, action,
Silver balls, flippers, bumpers & bells.
Fast hands,
Shake don’t tilt.
Striving for …
POP!
Yes!
Free game.
Addictive,
Don’t leave until pockets are empty.
Extra:
How could I not insert this here?
Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged drunks, mischief, provoking, scaring drunks on May 8, 2012| 1 Comment »
Pedestrian parade passes by No. 138.
Club patrons, late hour.
Strolling easily or
Staggering, drunk.
Targets for mischief.
All quiet …
From behind the tree, front-room window, descending from the roof:
The front garden of 138 Station St – just over the shrubs was the footpath along Station St.
Strollers, staggerers stunned
Show humour or fury.
Cackling kids, hysterically funny.
Especially at fury!!!
Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged Council Tip, fixing junk, Junk, treasure on May 4, 2012| 1 Comment »
Pop is down from Gosford
Stationed at Kingswood PMG depot.
He spends leisure time:
On our roof watching the trots,
Drinking tea with neighbour, Miss Brown.
Hunting around the tip with Stephen
Searching for stuff,
Stuff to fix,
“It might come in handy one day.”
Penrith tip.
His favourite place.
Posted in 138 Station St, Penrith South Primary, tagged harness racing, pacing, Penrith Trotting Club, trots on May 3, 2012| 1 Comment »
Thursday night – opposite home.
A ribbon of light illuminating
The Trots.
Horses pulling “gigs”
Hooves pounding, drivers shouting.
A panoramic view from our roof –
Tiled, gabled roof … the perch, precarious,
With Pop in charge of safety, we train binoculars on races.
We perched on the roof to watch the horses compete.
Picking winner after winner.
Never falling … even in photo-finishes.
365 Short Memories 