| Walter Murdoch (1874–1970). The Oxford Book of Australasian Verse. 1918. |
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| 88. We go no more to the Forest |
| | | (‘Nous n’irons plus au bois, les lauriers sont coupés.’) |
| | | By Mary Colborne-Veel |
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| WE go no more to the forest, | |
| The rimus are all cut down. | |
| They are built into roof and sill and wall, | |
| Into floors that thrill to the last foot-fall | |
| In the dancing of the town. | 5 |
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| We go no more to the forest, | |
| The kauris are all cut down. | |
| They are built into ships so stout and strong, | |
| Bearing their cargoes safe along, | |
| Sailing from town to town. | 10 |
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| We go no more to the forest, | |
| The ratas are all cut down. | |
| There are cornfields, golden and green and wide, | |
| For the tangled depths where a world might hide, | |
| And our lawns lie smooth in town. | 15 |
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| We go no more to the forest: | |
| Young, wild things are all cut down. | |
| We are buying and selling and making love, | |
| As the grown folk do, with a roof above, | |
| And our hearts are at home in town. | 20 |
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