Mike Cannon

Mike Cannonis a participant in Poetic Portraits, an intergenerational creative project to showcase the creative talent and diverse life experiences of different generations in Monash.

Mike Cannon has been married to Cathy for 50 years, with 2 sons and 2 granddaughters, and has worn many hats—labourer, clerk, salesperson, trainer, manager, teacher, singer, and radio presenter for the vision impaired.

Poetry has been a lifelong companion since his first eisteddfod at age eight. In moments of deep emotion, words naturally flow into verse.

A career highlight came when Eric Bogle, unasked, and for free, rerecorded one of his songs using Mike’s new lyrics—written in tribute to a beloved sister-in-law lost too soon.

Fruit of Life

Our grapefruit tree is prolific this year 

With fruit all over the place. 

The profusion’s no illusion 

Ripe and green and in-between, 

So many there’s no space. 

I saw our half-formed granddaughters, 

Their future as yet uncertain; 

Saw around their mum and dad, uncle and aunt 

The girls at the stage where anything’s possible, success is probable, 

There’s no such thing as “can’t”! 

And there we were too, full of juice, mature, 

Enjoying the fruits of our labours, 

Gardening, singing, helping the kids, delighting in nature, 

Occasional travel, meeting family and friends, 

Eating, drinking, having a chat with a neighbour. 

Then 

Under the shade of the tumble-down shed 

I saw 

One tumbled-down fruit, over-ripe, beaten, insect-eaten; 

I saw 

The rot, the mould, no longer perfect, full-flavoured, juicy – 

Old 

Beginning to slime. 

In twenty years’ time 

Is that me? 

Trains and Whistles 

When I was young The Seekers sang about a ‘Train Whistle Blowin’” 

Gordon sang about the Canadian Railroad, Johnny Cash about Folsom. 

There were lotsa songs about trains and whistles and now I try to sing some, 

Rememberin’ all the ways that trains have been part of my days. 

My father, he could whistle, beautifully, any song. 

Me? I’m useless, totally hopeless, just couldn’t work it out, 

I really tried to learn but everything I did was wrong; 

I could make whistling sounds while breathing in, but not out -   

What was that about? 

My beautiful Cathy has an amazing whistle, 

Our kids and grandkids know it from afar, 

Immediately stop,

Look around and listen -  

“I know that sound, it’s her!  Where are you, grandma?” 

My pop, Frank, and grandpa, Tom, Uncles Vince and Frank and cousin, Terry 

They all worked on the railway all their life. 

So when I first met Cathy and found out her father drove the trains, 

What could I do? – go off the rails or ask her to be my wife!