By JONATHON HOWARD
LEGENDARY Stanthorpe bush poet Jack Drake had an audience of about 100 people enthralled during the Poet’s Breakfast at the Golf Club on Sunday.
Jack was this year’s presenter at the Rotary Sunrise Club’s Poet’s Breakfast event, which is a regular part of the Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival.
Warwick Rotary sunrise club President Sandra Head said that funds raised helped the club support local community causes.
“This year, we hope to provide a significant level of support to the Bush Kids organisation,” she said.
According to Jack’s website, he was born in rural New Zealand in 1950, and is now a proud naturalised Aussie.
He has loved words and verse ever since his father gave him a copy of Banjo Patterson’s verses when he was 10 years old.
Initially he self-published books of his own poetry called Duck for Cover, Still Ducking, Dinkum Poetry and Saga of the Dog.
In 2003, Central Queensland University Press published his anthology of 86 poems plus six short stories entitled The Cattle Dog’s Revenge. This is now the only book of Jack Drake’s available for sale.
Other local artists displaying their creations during the event included Mavis Simpson with her fabric art, John James with his pottery and Nikki Malone with her oil paintings.
Marco Gliori will be the presenter at next year’s Poet’s Breakfast.
