its interesting to compare adam lindsay gordons 'The Sick Stockrider' with miriny-mirinymarra jingkiris 'murrkanyakarni' / 'Going to the Lock Hospital' p 33: also about a sick stockrider (if were to read the poem autobiographically that is - jingkiri was a stockrider or stockman; gordon wasnt exactly a stockrider as far as i know, but a horsebreaker and jockey, he is known for his abilities with horses and his horsey poems: jingkiri was known as 'horse boy jimmy' according to his bio p25, most of his work being with horses) but the latter is travelling by truck. the latter is more ambiguous with regard to dying: 'Will we go home better, or/ will we go home to die?'. the notes say the word 'convalesce' which ends the poem (im unsure which is the corresponding ngarla word) is used as a euphemism for 'die'. gordons poem ends with a reference to the bush flowers on his grave; jingkiris last stanza begins

'Memorise, look at those shady red gums.
Their tops will be swaying in the breeze for us
when we are ready to go home to convalesce'
ie he is saying memorise the trees for when you are dead.