Poem 5 of 230: STATE TO STATE
(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF C MAJOR:
C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
F2 G2 F2 C3
F2 G2 F2 C3
F2 G2 F2 C3
C2 F2 F2 F3 -
(TUNE - IN THE KEY OF C MAJOR:
C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
C2 F2 G2 F3
F2 G2 F2 C3
F2 G2 F2 C3
F2 G2 F2 C3
C2 F2 F2 F3 -
slow then fast)
From Sydney Town,
In uni. break,
I drove south-west
To earnings make
Onion picking,
On the fields
Of Echuca,
That year’s yields.
After day’s work,
From Y.H.A.,
A group of us
Would not delay
To walk on down
To the dirt rim
Of the Murray -
For a cool swim.
On one such day,
I do declare,
Some three of us
Had a big dare
To swim across,
From state to state,
The wide Murray -
I took the bait.
Yes, foolishly,
I took the bait -
A choice that I
Would come to hate,
For I almost
Did drown that date,
Making the swim
From state to state.
(C) David Franks 2003
Hear here - http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=28897
From Sydney Town,
In uni. break,
I drove south-west
To earnings make
Onion picking,
On the fields
Of Echuca,
That year’s yields.
After day’s work,
From Y.H.A.,
A group of us
Would not delay
To walk on down
To the dirt rim
Of the Murray -
For a cool swim.
On one such day,
I do declare,
Some three of us
Had a big dare
To swim across,
From state to state,
The wide Murray -
I took the bait.
Yes, foolishly,
I took the bait -
A choice that I
Would come to hate,
For I almost
Did drown that date,
Making the swim
From state to state.
(C) David Franks 2003
Hear here - http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=28897
 |
| Youth Hostel Association stamp, from January-February 1987 |
My sister having helped encourage me back to swimming during 2015, by 2020 I found I'd reached similar conclusions on wild swimming (if not on everything) to Roger Deakin in his brilliant book Waterlog; below are some photographs of other scenic "swimabouts" - with glasses/without wetsuit - in my 50s (when my clubfoot began to strain on walkabouts); and here are a few tips: when swimming across a river (as above), make it easier for yourself by walking a bit upstream of your intended landing point, or swim upstream first (the current should be less strong closer to the banks) & drift back to your starting point when more tired - and always check if there has been much rain upstream; instead of swimming out to sea, swim along a coastline so, if cramp or fatigue set-in, you are never too far from the safety of land; with a big hat and head-up breaststroke, you can swim for a long time without getting sunburn; if concerned about leaving belongings or the pool is confined, get some good exercise by simply treading water...
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| Buracona & Salinas, Cabo Verde; 16/12/23 |
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| Shelley Beach Pool, Cronulla; 13/11/15 & 23/10/23 - swam several times with sister |
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| Gunnamatta Bay Baths taken 13/11/15 and swam end-to-end and back in Dec. 2019 - if calm, doing (naturalists') breaststroke, you may see fish ahead on your bow wave |
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| Highgate Men's Bathing Pond on 16/5/16 - returning for a swim not long afterwards (Roger Deakin, above, also swam here) |
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| Barcelona's beachfront - swam on 27/5/18 |
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| Beyond Ostia's Neptune Statue near Rome - breakwaters overdo shallows, sadly; 4/5/19 |
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| Taken and swam 6/12/19, around the curve & back of beautiful Deep Water Bay Beach |
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| The "Secret Lake," Manchester, on 7/2/20, swam up-&-back when warmer on 23/6/20 and, as my local, a handful of times since... |
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| Thirroul Pool - shot in November 2015&16, & swam on a family visit in December 2021 |
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| Torquay on 30/6/18; swam 12/7/22, etc. - along at high-tide & out to a low-tide island (also free-diving with prescription goggles) |
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| Playa de Los Cristianos, Tenerife: shot from Montaña Chayofita & swam on 16/12/2022 |
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| Bathe at Paradise Valley, Morocco; 8/3/23 |
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| Agadir Beach, Morocco: the calmer Marina- side area is best for swimming; 11&14/3/23 |
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| Nice la Belle on 31/5/2023 - swam next day |
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| Bude Sea Pool - shot & swam 19/7/23, etc. |
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| Tinside Beach & Tinside Lido, Plymouth - shot 21/7/23 & swam the next (rainy) day |
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| Woronora River, SYD: shot/swam 21/10/23 |
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| Wattamolla Beach & Lagoon, Sydney - both shot and swam on 30/10/2023 |
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| Marrinawi Cove, Sydney Harbour: shot and swam 1/11/23 - slippery & sharp but scenic |
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| Kuta, Bali - shot & bodysurfed on 7/11/23 |
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| Both sides of Santa Maria Pier, Cabo Verde, swam/dived with Bitmore camera; 15/12/23 |
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| (Floaty) Salinas, Sal, Cabo Verde; 16/12/23 |
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| Buracona, Sal, Cabo Verde; 16/12/2023 |
