Friday 25 April 2014

A PRICE TOO HIGH

A PRICE TOO HIGH 


Maureen Clifford © The Scribbly Bark Poet 02/13 



When the fair came to town there was music and laughter,
and bright dodgem cars and the carousel swings;
bright pink  fairy floss, hot dogs, strawberry ice creams
and horses and chickens and other great things.
And lost in the noise and the madness and mayhem
stood one grubby urchin with tears on his face;
a little boy lost in the crowds of the funfair
who wanted his mother, and out of this place.

When the fair came to town there were flags all a- waving
and cries of ’hurrah!’ and loud cheers from the town.
The men marched right proudly in perfect formation
all ready to fight for king, country and crown.
And lost in the noise and the madness and mayhem
a heartbroken Mother sobbed soft in despair,
for though she was proud of those fine men before her
‘twas her only boy who she watched marching there.

Now the fair came to town for the war drums were silent
and cries of ‘hurrah!’  rang out over the square.
The band played, the crowd cheered, the men marched, not briskly
but somewhat more ragged and bowed down with care.
And lost in the noise and the madness and mayhem
with ticker tape fluttering down from the sky,
one thin wraithlike figure was pushed in a wheelchair;
he’d only one leg now, and only one eye.

His last time at the fair he had stood hale and hearty,
so worried  his mother would be left alone,
for there was no other to care for this woman;
whose husband was killed at the Battle of Somme .
And sitting ‘midst noise and the madness and mayhem
was one damaged urchin who’d never more roam;
now pushed like a babe once again by his Mother
who stood tall and proud as she took her boy home.


Sunday 20 April 2014

SAVE A HORSE

If you know anyone who might be interested please share this post.  If you have ever considered taking a horse from the muster, there is still time to save a horse

Apply Now to Save a Wild Kaimanawa Horse

Applications for adopting a Kaimanawa horse from the 2014 muster will close on April 30th.

Applications to take Wild Kaimanawa horses from this years muster are closing on the 30th April.  Application forms and further information can be found on http://kaimanawaheritagehorses.org/ 


Kaimanawa horses are destined for slaughter and 120 lives will be lost from this year’s Department of Conservation muster.  180 Kaimanawa horses are to be removed in the muster and the Kaimanawa Heritage Horses Welfare Society is seeking suitable homes as an alternative to the horses going to slaughter.

The official count from the aerial census conducted by DoC in March indicates there are 469 Kaimanawa horses within the designated management zone and another 38 horses outside of the area. It is estimated that 393 of the horses within the zone are adults and 76 are juveniles. DoC is responsible for maintaining the wild horse population at 300 horses The Kaimanawa Heritage Horses Welfare Society works closely with DoC to rehome as many of the wild horses as possible but those that don’t find homes, go direct to slaughter.

Kaimanawa horses have shot to fame in equestrian circles since the last muster in 2012. They’ve earned their celebrity status by proving both trainable and talented. Some that were mustered and rehomed in 2012 are already out competing and winning in open competition. These horses have inspired a number of discerning horse owners to consider taking the plunge and adopting a wild horse but many more homes are needed for the 180 stallions, mares and foals that will otherwise be trucked straight to the abattoir from the muster in late May.

Kaimanawa Heritage Horses commits to taking on all of the unplaced foals and yearlings, but horses as young as two years and everything older, are all facing the abattoir unless more homes are found. Kaimanawa Heritage Horses have applications for approximately 60 of the 180 horses but need to more than double that number, in less than 2 weeks.



Saturday 19 April 2014

Here's the latest edition of TAT poetry - our Anzac Day edition to honour our fallen in all the fields of battle