David Judge

By Gary Harding – The Australian Cultural Centre Project

I was fortunate to recently obtain a copy of a new book written and published by well-known bush poet David Judge entitled:

“A Sense of Place ̶ A Septuagenarian’s Recollections in Rhyme”.

David’s name should be familiar to many Readers as he is consistently listed among the top competition award recipients.

Prior to receiving the book, I found myself expecting a relatively slim publication that included a selection of David’s acclaimed poetry. Such a book in itself would have been a fair accomplishment for him, while for me it would be a further and useful addition to my library.

HOWEVER, this publication turned out to be something far more! It has proved to be a lesson for me in not making assumptions.
In the first instance, I was impressed by the effort and the expense that must have gone into producing this remarkable 200-page (!!) publication that included relevant photos interspersed between poems and anecdotes.

Certainly, writing and collating the material for this tome would have been quite daunting. The time allocated to writing the verse must have been significant as my own experience taught me that even a couple of lines can take hours before The Muse eventually appears.

People have differing poetic tastes insofar as what appeals to them. One size or style does not fit all. However, in this instance, David has achieved something quite unique and with broad appeal in the form of “Rhyming recollections” that utilise both traditional rhyme and meter in telling its story. Rhyme, it would seem, comes naturally to him and his words flow. He travels equally between drama and humour, all with a background of good, old-fashioned values.

With my own grounding in the works of the Master Balladists, I have adopted the traditional ballad structure of having the first letter of the first word of any new line capitalised. Thus, in terms of the modern style of writing bush verse I am likely regarded as a ‘dinosaur’ and yet I am able to well appreciate David’s writing and clever use of words. Make a start and it gets you in.

Considering the relatively short time that he has been writing ̶ which is basically since 2018 ̶ David has accumulated a significant number of competition achievements. The fact that he has consistently ranked highly with a range of judges over numerous competitions is a clear statement about the quality of his poetry!

I suggest that this is not a volume for one to tackle in a single sitting.

In particular, his PNG experiences fascinated me and I found myself wishing there was more. Additionally, with only a line or two dedicated to his contracting cerebral malaria, the reader is left wanting to read far more about this experience.

As a result, I feel that David’s life story might be expanded into a more detailed account, perhaps presented in the form of a non-fiction book. One could really settle into that and enjoy it, I am sure.

The Foreword to David’s book written by “K A” Nelson needs a mention because it is so accurate. In this, K A says, “I commend this poetic memoir to all poetry lovers; people who appreciate the genre, and those stepping towards poetry for the first time. It will appeal to and be appreciated by those with a sense of history and how it informs contemporary life in Australia”.

The scans below, although not inclusive of the remarkable photographs, offer the following:

• The book’s front cover;
• The start of David’s poetic dedication to “Banjo” Paterson;
• A double-page scan where the LHS is the last part of a poem which also offers the reader a sample of David’s application of rhyme and meter.
• On the RHS is popular and accomplished, poetry judge Catherine Lee’s perceptive and accurate commentary in dealing with one of David’s poems, Convict Settlers. I feel this commentary can be equally applied to his other works.

I would not normally comment on books of bush verse written by today’s authors because perceptions differ. Plus my assessment is not claimed to be more valid than anybody else’s.

But this is a deserved Exception.

From an author with an astonishing record in competitions comes:
A Sense of Place ̶ A Septuagenarian’s Recollections in Rhyme.

Such a sizeable book certainly deserves an honourable mention and I’m sure that anybody who purchases a copy will not be disappointed.

($30 + $8.50 pp) info@davidjudge.au