Page 15 - The Outdoor Showman OCT-DEC 2021

LuLu Foster & Co.
by John Foster
From the fairgrounds of England they came to this land,
All the hopes for the future they held in their hands.
It was the matriarch called ‘LuLu’ that led them along,
They came not to be silent, but they came with a song.
By the campfire at night they would gather to share,
Their stories of the days of doing and dare.
And their children would listen as the tales were told,
That to live in this world you have to be bold.
They travelled across many a road or bush track,
To entertain people of the cities or the outback.
They were carried by horse, wagon or buckboard,
And they chose to live freely of their own accord.
And though it was a life that could be tragic or rough,
The lessons ‘Lulu’ taught them was to be tough.
And to never stop learning what dreams are about,
For life will never stop testing you out.
Now since her passing many campfires have burnt,
And as one of her descendants, what have I learnt?
I know this much, and that’s how to survive,
For its respect for my history that keeps me alive.
And so to my great-grandmother ‘Lulu’, I raise a glass,
Whatever her misgivings the lady had class.
For she raised a family which of a kind there is one,
And I can say proudly that I am Foster’s son.
THE OUTDOOR SHOWMAN 13