Orphaned Islands (Un)poetry

Admiration of rogues
almost universally embedded in the human condition
folk heroes
scoundrels
buccaneers
those getting in the face of the establishment
raising a single finger to conformity.

Conformists
everyone in McMurdo was – or sly.
Rules. Multi-layers of dense prohibition
reduced everything to the lowest common denominator.
A direct breach resulted in termination
a challenge excluded reemployment.

Perhaps that’s why we were avid of vicarious confrontation
tales of bold transgressions from seasons faded
passed down as family heirlooms
artefacts curated on perpetual descent

“Oh, that story,” sighed the boss of 12 years
about the worker he dismissed for climbing Mount Erebus
Mount Erebus 25 miles distant and 13,000 feet high
a challenge to anyone with a mountaineering impulse
and not to be trespassed
a double challenge.

Yes, the person concerned was a mountaineer of ability
and may very well have climbed illegally
but the truth was far less subversive.
The alpinist worked as a janitor
his supervisor couldn’t always find him
and raised his concerns with the management.
The boss had a sound understanding of evasion
and located him asleep in a storage locker.

A warning was issued and instructions for no repeat.
a recurrence and termination.
He wasn’t sacked for climbing the boss exhaled again
“ it was for sleeping on the job.
If possible it would have been for stupidity.”

For the back story click Backstage

Digestive biscuits and lemonade
medicine to 1960’s high-temperature children.
Coarse brown wheat flour and sugar
flat shaped and baked
born under the name wheaten
‘digestive’ an early fudging of science, by marketing.
Many years later
still available by birth title
and chocolate coated.

We were all in our 20’s
young people seeking adventure – and money
all remembered the cures and rewards of childhood.
Steve was a navy cook
surname Wheaton
inevitably christened Chocolate Wheaton
sound bitten to “Chocky Wheaton.”

History: Scott and Amundsen racing to the South Pole
heroic and indelible.
Chocky said he had never heard of them
or here, before
said when he returned to Ohio
his father asked, “son, where was that place you went
I looked all round the globe and couldn’t find it.”
He turned the globe upside down
“ there it is Dad.”

For the back story click Backstage

JB went to university aged 35
he said he felt conspicuous
“ 9 ft tall with red hair
old enough to be their fathers
what do you expect?”
9 ft was an exaggeration
still
6ft five, with red hair – and prophet’s beard.

Before study he worked in a building supplies depot
insulation department.
thick blankets of salmon hued fibreglass batting
cut into pillow sized wall and ceiling warmers
and colloquial
known as pink batts.

Almost everybody arriving for the first time
said it
he said.
“ Hi Batman …….. heard that before”
upbeat slid to puzzled disappointment.
I told him they thought it humorous
so humour them
apparently humour thins after 1,000,001.

Skua : a migratory gull
South polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki)
found in Antarctica over summer
a bigger, more streetwise seagull
with less scruples
always the first to arrive at a crash site.
McMurdo, hog heaven for skuas
all those people – and all that rubbish.

It wasn’t always possible to pick first timers
except on fried chicken day
they pointed at the wings and drumsticks
“skua,” and laughed heartily
disappointed with wit’s reception
surprised by our lack of humour.

For the back story click Backstage