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Green and Gold Malaria
by Rupert McCall
The day would soon arrive when I could not ignore the rash.
I was obviously ill and so I called on Doctor Nash.
This standard consultation would adjudicate my fate.
I walked into his surgery and gave it to him straight:
`Doc, I wonder if you might explain this allergy of mine,
I get these pins and needles running up and down my spine.
From there, across my body, I will suddenly extend -
My neck will feel a shiver and the hairs will stand on end.
And then there is the symptom that only a man can fear -
A choking in the throat, and the crying of a tear.'
Well, the Doctor scratched his melon with a rather worried look.
His furrowed brow suggested that the news to come was crook.
`What is it Doc?' I motioned. `Have I got a rare disease?
I'm man enough to cop it sweet, so give it to me, please.'
`I'm not too sure,' he answered, in a puzzled kind of way.
`You've got some kind of fever, but it's hard for me to say.
When is it that you feel this most peculiar condition?'
I thought for just a moment, then I gave him my position:
`I get it when I'm standing in an Anzac Day parade,
And I get it when the anthem of our native land is played,
And I get it when Mortlock makes a Kiwi-crunching run,
And when Hayden grits his teeth to score a really gutsy ton.
I got it back in '91 when Farr-Jones held the Cup,
And I got it when Japan was stormed by Better Loosen Up.
I get it when Banjo takes me down the Snowy River,
And Matilda sends me waltzing with a billy-boiling shiver.
It hit me hard when Sydney was awarded with the Games,
And I get it when I see our farmers fighting for their names.
It flattened me when Bertrand raised the boxing kangaroo,
And when Perkins smashed the record, well, the rashes were true blue.
So tell me, Doc,' I questioned. `Am I really gonna die?'
He broke into a smile before he looked me in the eye.
As he fumbled with his stethoscope and pushed it out of reach,
He wiped away a tear and then he gave me this stirring speech:
`From the beaches here in Queensland to the sweeping shores of Broome,
On the Harbour banks of Sydney where the waratah's in bloom.
From Uluru at sunset to the Mighty Tasman Sea,
In the Adelaide cathedrals, at the roaring MCG.
From the Great Australian Blight up to the Gulf of Carpentaria,
The medical profession call it "green and gold malaria".
But forget about the text books, son, the truth I shouldn't hide.
The rash that you've contracted here is "good old Aussie pride".
I'm afraid that you were born with it and one thing is for sure -
You'll die with it, young man, because there isn't any cure.'
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
For that you should get![]()
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and a
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Brilliant!
You mind if I put that up on WBF?
Last edited by Sagerian; 24-05-06 at 08:02.
Bloody good mate.
Just happy to be here
Hey Exile, have you read that whole book or just seen that poem? That is my all time favorite poem and there are plenty of other beauts in his book....the name of the eludes me at the moment.
The Author/Poet Rupert McCall has his own website at;
http://www.rupertmccall.com.au/
His books are available from the site.
To be honest InnForcer I wasnt aware of the book. I received this poem as an email a couple of years ago, Have always kept it and read it when I needed a boost.
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
That is a bloody awesome, fair dinkum beaut of a poem, bought a tear to the eye, and a shiver to me spine.
Frontrow; it would appear that your suffering from that Green and Gold Malaria tooOriginally Posted by frontrow
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
He also wrote and re-wrote the code of the bull for the QLD Bulls.
The Code of the Bull 2004-2005
How many times did you stand there?
You'd just hit your neighbour for four
Pretending your yard was the Gabba
And hearing the Queenslanders roar
You'd look in the eye of your team mates
And know you were never alone
On top of your head, the reason…
A cap that was coloured maroon
That was the road you were marching
The hours you spent in the nets
That was the moment you lived for
As good as a Queensland dream gets
Legends aren't born – they're inspired
And heroes aren't made – they are grown
And destiny favours the player that savours
The cap that is coloured maroon
So many years we had waited
So many twists to the tale
Nothing will ever replace it
The taste of that first Holy Grail
The mouth of the cricket world doubted
But the tank in our engine was full
With our hand on our heart, it meant everything
To honour the Code of the Bull
AB - thank God he was with us!
Haydos stands true to the test
Big Carl unleashed with the spirit
And Stuey gave all for the crest!
There's Kaspa, Chuck, Lovey and Simmo
And Bich with a passion well known
And Jimmy on fire – a captain’s desire
For caps that are coloured maroon
Now the day has arrived and you stand there
Your heart felt the passionate pull
You believed in yourself – that's the moral
That was "The Code of the Bull"
For the neighbourhood son, you walk forward
The pride chills your blood and your bone
You dreamt of this day - they can't take it away
And the cap… it is coloured maroon
March on you maroon grown heroes!
Queenslanders rise as you go
With the weight of the state right behind them
Our cricketing glory will show
With our Bulls, we can bring home another!
With our Bulls, we can carry that pride!
March on you maroon grown heroes!
We're coming along for the ride
Rupert McCall 2004
The Code of the Bull 2005-06
It hurts to think we were poised at the brink
of so near but yet so far away
But the strength of a team is to fearlessly dream and this one is ready to play
The fever returns and a Bull's courage burns
in the blaze of a Queensland vendetta
Remember that kid with the stars in his eye?
Well this time the story gets better!!!
Turn a new page! Take that cricketing stage
with a formula proven and proud
When maroon hearts are thumping
the Gabba is pumping
It's big and it's live and it's loud!
Red leather flies there's belief in the skies
For the skill and the thrill of the mission
For the charge and the chase and
the look on his face
When the game is aflame with ambition
When Johnson's the speed with
a venomous seed
and Perren is scorching the ropes
With Flipper and Harts playing
passionate parts
and the brilliance of Watson and Hopes
The balance of youth with the veteran of truth
and once again, "Q" is the letter
We're ready - we're set, no excuse, no regret
This time the story gets better!
March on you Maroon Grown Heroes!
Queenslanders rise as they go
With the weight of our state right behind them
Our hearts and our hunger will show
With our Bulls we can rectify justice!
With our Bulls, we can carry that pride!
March on you Maroon Grown Heroes!
We're coming along for the ride!
Listening to him perform these is amazing and always sends tingles down my spine.
i like that one exile, might get his book for a read me thinks!
I bought both his books and his cd when I was over in the UK - he wrote a personal message inside the cover which I thought was a nice touch.
Would recommend both to anyone, there's some great work in there.. though a few too many Queensland ones for my liking![]()