Our faces weather-beaten,
and our home is being eaten
by the white ants, and the scorching sun
is drying out the land.
The bush is dehydrated
and our plight is under-rated;
we are sitting in our crumbling house
whilst all is going wrong.
The cattle are absconding,
our grafts are just not bonding
and the trees we planted late last spring
have shrivelled up and died.
So we'll sit tight and we'll battle;
we'll breed some tougher cattle
and the rains will someday come our way
and bring us from the brink.
The broad sweep of this country
from the Yarra up to One Tree
is the most unique and grandest place
you'd ever hope to see.
Though we're weary and we're starving,
this land we'll keep on carving
for the open spaces hold our hearts
and keep our dreams alive.
We're the cockies from Down Under
and let no drought put assunder
the depth of pride and great respect
we hold for this, our home.
Author notes
I hope that the underlying hope and resilience of the Australian bushmen and women has come across in this poem about the current drought that plagues much of this wonderful yet harsh country.
I wish them nothing but good luck and enough rain to see them through.
A contest entry
- The Land (The EPCOT Invitational) by Brendan OHalloran.
500 points, ended July 26, 7 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
-
Like the unorthodox rhyme scheme, and the contrast between the order we try to place on our land, and the disorder that is often placed on us (or rather, an order we cannot accept or see). Even without the background, the poem creates a dry synesthesia; from the words come a dry dust, a toughness that illustrates both the land and the malleability of its inhabitants.
Thank you for the poem. -
wonderful rhyming, I like the rhyme scheme you've used, enough so that I am determined to give it a try lol.
A very enjoyable read, you've captured the resilience well in this piece. This is much like the pioneers in Canada and how they struggled during the droughts and wildfires, locusts etc. Well done.
Rory
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