Springtime Silliness

The Deep Workers gather this spring
For a picnic — and no, not a thing
on the agenda at all,
bar a rug and a ball
and whatever the afternoon brings.

The forecast says sunshine — how sweet!
Then Melbourne turns up in the street
with a cold snap in tow
and a wind off the snow,
so wear shorts, but bring socks for your feet.

The footy has wound to its end,
the last of the sirens descend;
then the clocks jump ahead
and we're robbed of our bed,
but the evenings — oh, how they extend.

So come as you are, more or less:
the unclenched, the tender, the mess.
Put the armour away,
let the shields drop today —
we prefer you a little unpressed.

Bring salad and sunscreen and heart,
bring the you that you keep set apart,
bring your sinuses too —
Melbourne's pollen will do
what the boardroom could never quite start.

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There will be no catering (not even timtams!). Please bring a plate and drinks to share.