Shop Next To Bridge

Shop Next To Bridge...

At the bridge,

where it crosses Olde Maroochy stream,

and a pelican will glide effortlessly below,

resistant to sight;

or sound,

unconscious to its surrounding,

where it’s just down from castle tower on guard,

old store still standing,

‘twas once there for convenience;

‘tis local shop no more.

There’s a sign on the door

and one outside on the wall,

proclaiming to one and all

“VIDEOS!”

now this chapter of the saga,

of Bli Bli’s history,

and its past,

has become

without a wanting to be,

victim to progression,

victim to customer’s wants or needs,

here in the game,

just another pawn

of greed,

and multi national’s trends.

Long before

what is of today,

many were the years,

where store at the bridge

served the locals needs,

or be it holiday crowds

beach bound;

and places far beyond,

a nice place to stop,

great place for bait,

amazing place for information;

of the fishing at the beach,

or fishing off the rocks,

and always obvious question,

when is the next full tide?

and are the fish a biting today?

‘twas a place to buy

some victuals,

just a fraction dearer

to your ones that got left behind,

on the second shelf

of your walk-in pantry,

or freezer section of your fridge,

in your hurried escape

to be on holidays.

Always hamburgers with the lot,

beetroot,

and pineapple too,

chipped potatoes order of the day,

wrapped in news of the yesterday,

then gobbled down,

and hungrily eaten

in a hurry.

ice cream cones

for quieting down the kids,

cold soft drinks

wetting thirsty palettes.

Cane trains came,

and cane trains went

clickety clacking,

a crossing the bridge,

iron carriages carrying

blacken sticks of sugar cane,

then in passing olde time store,

blowing, blowing warning horn

las traffic grinds to halt,

Just got enough time to pop in,

for a badly needed pack of smokes.

Busy little store;

next to busy bridge,

over Olde Maroochy stream,

many a day,

a tide on the turn

soundlessly passing by,

many a day of floods,

silently like thief of night.

Progress then arrived,

Bli Bli started to grow,

Caltex first,

River Markets next,

becoming the places,

for now to stop and shop.

Forgotten today as much,

now not needed

this little olde shop by the bridge,

new locals who like to call Bli Bli home,

no longer use the store,

bypassed by traffic too,

and like so many other country stores,

or the shops

that served on the corners,

which were a traditional source of business,

for many mums and dads and their kids,

forever gone,

forever forgotten,

as part of Australia’s history.

So next time you pass

and cross over the bridge,

spanning the mighty Maroochy stream,

where a pelican will glide

impervious to sight or sound,

unconscious to its surrounding,

thus my friends I say to you;

that I will dip me lid to history,

where for many a day,

a community was served,

or a kid got served his tuppence

worth of lollies in a paper bag,

and many

just like you and me got served;

with good olde country service,

in what was known far and wide

as simply,

the shop next to bridge.............