modern
day bush poet Rupert McCall.
THE CROCODILES ARE CRYING
Endless
visions fill my head - this man - as large as life
And instantly my heart mourns for his angels and his wife
Because
the way I see Steve Irwin - just put everything aside
It comes back to his family - it comes back to his pride
His
animals inclusive - Crikey - light the place with love!
Shine his star with everything he fought to rise above
The
crazy-man of Khaki from the day he left the pouch
Living out his dream and in that classic ‘Stevo’ crouch
Exploding
forth with character and redefining cheek
It’s one thing to be honoured as a champion unique
It’s
one thing to have microphones and spotlight cameras shoved
It’s another to be taken in and genuinely loved
But
that was where he had it right - I guess he always knew
From his fathers’ modest reptile park and then Australia
Zoo
We
cringed at times and shook our heads - but true to natures call
There was something very Irwin in the make up of us all
Yes
the more I care to think of it - the more he had it right
If you’re going to make a difference - make it big and
make it bright!
Yes
- he was a lunatic! Yes - he went head first!
But he made the world feel happy with his energetic burst
A world
so large and loyal that it’s hard to comprehend
I doubt we truly count the warmth until life meets an end
To
count it now I say a prayer with words of inspiration
May the spotlight shine forever on his dream for conservation
My
daughter broke the news to me - my six year old in tears
It was like she’d just turned old enough to show her honest
fears
I tried
to make some sense of it but whilst her Dad was trying
His little girl explained it best. She said “The crocodiles
are crying”
Their
best mate’s up in heaven now - the crocs up there are smiling!
And as sure as flowers, poems and cards and memories
are piling
As
sure as we’ll continue with the trademarks of his spiel
Of all the tributes worthy - he was rough but he was real
As
sure as ‘Crikey!’ fills the sky
I think we’ll miss ya Steve
Goodbye
RUPERT
McCALL 2006
