The Ballad of Morgan the Red.
Red Morgan was a mighty bloke.
He’d snap your beads for a dirty look
‘mungous, monstrous and mantankerous
Only his granny dared call him a sook.
He’d stamp his foot, tear a book, kick a wheel& say rude words that’re made of steel
The most fearsome kind of pastry-cook.
Fate never smiled on Red Morgan
From the first day he lifted a dress
With fierce, firm, feisty fumbling
He’d change her oil with never a mess.
Deft tool to a Big Rig or roller-skate,
Left rocker-box or rotor in a quivering state
Nothing ever looked back after his road-test.
Red Morgan was so dangerous
No mirror would bear his looks
Curdled milk and dastardly deeds
You’d read of in the blackest of books
He robbed the rich, the swines, the cads
And lost it all cos his maths was bad.
Wouldn’t argue, cos he didn’t give a chook
Every moment is a turning or a choosing
Hard and mean just came on him to stay
But his children made some softening
Made him glad to wake & still walk away.
mend it stroke it bite it or smoke it
If raining shit just don’t be under it
That’s Morgan the Red on a typical day
‘Never waited on Fate’ thought Morgan the Red
No point in being sour or terse
When the job-bucket’s full & overflowing
He might think to spit, dance or curse.
‘Fix it or burn it or thrash it!’ says he
‘nothing that can’t be sorted with .303 or TNT,
& don’t expect a razoo from the world’s welded purse.
Out in the dark & cold plains of the world
You might end up twisted either way
Like a bag of cats, he was just born wild,
Flip of the coin, well, who’s to say?
Friends don’t come easy, bit there’s enemies to burn
Y’end up’s tough as the world’s lessons you learn
Red travelled the world and across oceans
Worked at and tried almost every thing
Ripped off & skipped out of tight corners
A happy/sad outlaw. But never a crim
A Westie full in mind and bone is Red
Drive it all hard. Horizon is my home, says Red.
Up hard and in deep for as long as a piece of string.
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Poem dedicated to Neville Morgan delivered by his good friend Christian Martin at Waimamaku Hall 4-1-21.
*****
RIP Neville, My Westy Bro… and Bougan Exemplar Par Excellence.
Passed away 31-1-21 up Wekaweka Valley.
He is buried at Waimamaku Cemetery, Hokianga Northland New Zealand next to his son Makwari.
Tim Wikiriwhi.