The River Turns to Beer



Here's a story of the upper Clarence at a place we call the hut,
It's the boys weekend & a real good chance of climbing out of our rut.
The boys come down from far and wide and places close and near,
It's the only place in Australia where the river turns to beer.

The girls are left behind at home for it's the boys weekend,
The ladies say it's the only time they are not driven round the bend.
The boys bring down thier eskys packed full of real good cheer,
That brings me back to my story of "Where the river turns to beer".

It is a time of mateship the jokes are not too clean,
But at the end of the day I must say that they are not obscene.
I am proud to call the boys my friends I hold them oh so dear,
The only time they disgrace themselves is "When the river turns to beer.

Grand final is upon us the league is at its finish,
But the spirit of the boys weekend does anything but diminish.
The boys all gather in the hut the Grand Final to watch and hear,
It's time to forget thier contribution to "When the river turns to beer ".

I guess I should mention the cooking on the spit,
The lamb the beef the legs of pork are always a big hit.
The tucker is washed down with draughts of ale so clear,
The golden ale supports my tale of "When the river turns to beer".

The fishing gear is brought forth some new and some very old,
The stories that come with them are something to behold.
The scaly ones I am sure have nothing else to fear,
Except the time of disaster " When the river turns to beer".

I have reached the end of my story it makes me feel so sad,
But the reader of this tale must feel so very glad.
The day the boys go swimming and shed all thier gear,
Is when the water changes colour and"THE RIVER TURNS TO BEER".

About this poem

This poem means so very much to me it was written by my loving father who passed 23/03/2022 and is about his property in Northern NSW Australia which was his sanctuary. Every year his friends and family join him on the property for boy’s weekend and he wrote this poem about it.

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Written on 2021

Submitted by suedcollis on August 25, 2022

Modified on March 18, 2023

1:56 min read
97

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CCBB DDBB EEXB FFBB GGBB HHBB
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,734
Words 383
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Discuss the poem The River Turns to Beer with the community...

2 Comments
  • lovingempath
    Absolutely charming!! I love the vibrancy and skill of the poet. I was there...drinking the beer :).
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • Nino.D
    Well written. I felt like I was part of the camp. Also cheery and fun and made me smile!
    LikeReply1 year ago

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"The River Turns to Beer" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/136852/the-river-turns-to-beer>.

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