Christmas Rain

[Peely]

CHRISTMAS RAIN
© John Peel 15/12/2010

The countryside was barren, all our stock were thin and poor;
the land had seen its share of drought, but none this bad before.
For three long years, the rain was sparse; our debt was on the rise –
all hope was quickly fading, but we looked towards the skies…

Perhaps, somehow, we still believed that rain was on the way
and that the drought was close to breaking almost any day.
When things were at their blackest and our minds were full of doubt,
the rain came down on Christmas Day and broke three years of drought.

There were scenes of jubilation as the rain began to pour –
after three long years of nothing it was what we’d waited for.
We went outside and cheered for joy, we sang and danced around
while the rainfall made the rooftops ring with such a joyous sound.

We watched the rain keep falling and the creeks begin to flow.
We knew the rain would make the barren paddocks start to grow
nutritious grass to feed our stock to save them from their plight.
Our thoughts turned to the future – everything would be all right.

We could almost see the paddocks with their waving waist-high crops.
We daydreamed of the water tanks filled by those precious drops.
There were children that had never seen rain quite like this before –
they shared the adults’ joyfulness and they too wanted more.

We prayed that we might never see a drought as bad again,
but every single one of us was thankful for the rain.
That year we all received the very greatest gift of all –
our longest drought had broken when the rain began to fall.

[Maureen K Clifford]

That prayer will be being said on a lot of country properties Peely with 60% of the country in drought again. Far to many wont be having a Merry Christmas this year.

[Peely]

Here's hoping that some of those places in drought get some rain for Christmas, Maureen

I know I certainly wouldn't mind seeing rain on Christmas Day this year. It has been fairly dry down this way of late too, even though Tumut is still fairing better than many other places.

I hope you have a great Christmas Maureen


John

[alongtimegone]

There can be nothing more soul destroying for families on the land than long lasting periods of drought. I enjoyed reading your poem John.
Wazza

[Peely]

It certainly isn't an easy life on the land Wazza (my parents are farmers)

If it isn't drought, it could be fire, flood, hail or pestilence and if you are lucky, you might get a good year in there somewhere in between.

I'm glad you enjoyed my poem.

Have a great Christmas


John