"C. J. Dennis, father, of the Sentimental Bloke, Doreen and Ginger Mick, is leaving his political secretaryship and making back to his Bush home at Toolangi (Vic.), where the splitters live and a writer has time to think."

Wot price ole C. J. Den?  'E's done a break --
   'E's drawn 'is time and cut the Guv'ment stroke;
'E's givin' art a chance for art's sweet sake;
   'E alwis was a Sentimental Bloke.
Just fancy 'im a bloomin' bureaucrat!
Blimey, I knoo 'e wasn't meant for that.

All singin' soldiers wot 'ave sung 'is songs,
   Because of Mick, will 'elp 'is songs endure;
And ev'ry rhymester for 'is fame 'oo longs
   Will wish 'im luck, pursuin' lit'rachoor,
Though Billy 'Ughes will miss 'im at 'is post,
When fate 'as robbed Ted Russell of 'is "ghost."

Ah, well -- life's but a thing o' circumstance,
   A sort o' pendulum that comes an' goes;
But square an' all, I 'ope we 'ave the chance
   To meet once more Doreen, the Bloke an' Rose
An' Mick, 'oose friendship made their life's brief span
The richer for a gallant gentleman.

I 'ear some fat'ead murmur, "Rollin' stone";
   "Stick to your job," observes some other chump;
But Den is bound to think things out alone,
   Up at Toolangi, sittin' on a stump,
An' writin' dinkum lyrics on the sly
For illustration by 'is pal, 'Al Gye.

I wisht I 'ad 'is luck -- an' so do scores
   Of blokes wot keep their grindstones on the turn,
An' kids in boots an' socks, an' wolves from doors --
   It ain't all po'try makin' 'ome-lights burn.
But ar!  'is 'ome in dreamland 'olds a queen
To 'oom we dips our lid -- er name's Doreen!

"Guy Innes"
The Bulletin, 14 December 1916, p26