On Retirement

At his own retirement social given by railwaymen at Gladstone July 1966, W.C. Robinson, the old railway poet recited the following:

Now give three hearty cheers, after forty-one years
I'm leaving the old railway.
My work is all done - my retirement begun
So this is all I have to say.

I have never been late - I have pulled all my weight,
I think I have earned all I've got.
As my thought backward wends - I think of old friends
And believe me I made quite a lot.

I have travelled around, all times I have found
Some very fine railway chaps
And there isn't a doubt that when I go out
I'll miss you and I don't mean perhaps.

But when the cold wind is blowing and it's blanky near snowing
I can snuggle back home in my bed
And that low gentle humming of rail-cars a-coming
Will cause me to bury my head.

Or maybe perhaps I'll fix up my traps
And sneak out when things are real quiet.
I'll make it a habit to catch a nice rabbit
To help with our regular diet.

So now it is time to end off my rhyme
So boys now this is all I can say:
My innings has ended - the way I intended.
It's goodbye to the old railway.