John Shaw Neilson

John Shaw Neilson he wrote of The Country Out There
And The Orange Tree and You And Yellow Air
And Marian's Child and Granny Sullivan
From the pen of the poetic talented man

He was born in Penola and in Nhill spent most of his young life
He died without children and  he never had a wife
But hundreds of beautiful poems he did create
The Bard of the Mallee was a poetic great

The John Shaw Neilsons of the World to say the least rare
With the Bard of the Mallee few could hope to compare
His poems brought him little in financial reward though he did know of fame
And in death his has become a legendary name

John Shaw Neilson wrote of brolgas dancing in their courtship display
In a bare brown paddock in the warmth of a Mallee Spring day
His poems have outlived him and of him 'twould be fair to say
That he was one with words who did  have a way.