Are You on Channel, Mate? by Scott Farquhar is a deeply personal bush poem about life behind the wheel, the quiet weight of the black dog and the value of reaching out to a mate.

Through long nights in a truck cab, Scott traces the relief he found in writing and the simple realisation that no one has to carry everything alone.

Are You on Channel, Mate?

By Scott Farquhar

Thirteen years behind the wheel,
I’ve watched a fair bit come and go,
some bloody good, some bloody hard,
some things I’d rather not know.
Break-ups, money, mates we’ve lost,
addiction had its say,
you learn to keep the wheels turnin’
and push it all up away.

But these last couple years the black dog
started droppin’ by a bit more,
usually somewhere late at night
when there’s no one else to talk to.
So crank the bloody music up,
try and drown out what’s in me brain,
another podcast… nah, I’ve had enough,
I’ll just sit here quiet again.

Funny thing about a truck cab,
there’s nowhere much to hide,
just you, your thoughts, a ribbon of road
and a long dark night outside.
You can fool the world you’re doin’ fine,
have a laugh and carry on,
but when the UHF goes quiet,
you know when something’s wrong.

Then one night scrollin’ Facebook,
a yarn called Turbulence appeared,
thought, “Hell, I’ll give that a go,”
wasn’t much else happenin’ here.
So I started puttin’ words together,
having a laugh at life,
turning trucks and mates and stupid things
into something I could write.

And somewhere in amongst the rhymes,
things started feelin’ light,
I’d sit there laughin’ at me own words
instead of fightin’ with the night.
The road’s still long, life’s still life,
there’ll always be bumps ahead,
but these days when the sun goes down
it ain’t so dark inside my head.

I’m still thirteen years behind the wheel,
still learning as I go,
but I reckon I’m finally understandin’
you don’t have to do it solo.
Sometimes all it takes is one voice
to break through all that weight
so if you reckon someone’s gone a bit quiet,
reach out and ask…

Keeping The Verse Alive

Are You on Channel, Mate? is shared with permission from Scott Farquhar through Keeping The Verse Alive, Country Campfire’s bush poetry preservation project.

By preserving poems like this, we’re helping ensure the stories, humour and characters of country Australia continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Scott Farquhar

Cattle Trucker • Bush Poet • Storyteller

Originally from Adelaide and now based in Katherine, Scott Farquhar spent ten years behind the wheel of cattle trucks. His bush poetry draws on the places he has travelled, the people he has met and life on the road, bringing a truckie’s perspective and a natural sense of humour to Australian verse.

→ View Scott Farquhar’s Legend Page

Poems, recitals, photographs, stories and original works remain the property of their original creator and are shared by Country Campfire with permission.