ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Our Home - Australia
(c) 2013 Manfred Vijars

The black man came and he began
to push the borderlines of man
Then white man saw the mystery
and laid the tracks of history.
So each one came with fierce accord
and limitations were ignored
... to earn the prize "Australia"

Then settlers followed in their tracks.
They worked and toiled with bended backs
in searing heat and blinding dust
the life they lived was boom or bust
Now drought and flood and fire combine
to bring us down - but we decline
... this strengthens our Australia

I look around my spirits soar –
our land unfolds from shore to shore
The Southern Cross bejewels the night.
Our culture's rich - "She WILL be right".
"Fair go for all" - live mateship's code
We work and strive in our abode
... this place we love - Australia

So now you've joined us in our Land
there's one thing you must understand
There is a price for what we share
(your your home is HERE - not over 'there').
To earn the Freedom of our Land -
it's HERE that you must make your stand
... So stand up for Australia.
---

To true Mannie - the flag that flies over the heads of all in this great nation is after all Australian

Multiculturalism rules, Manfred.

manfredvijars wrote:Our Home - Australia
(c) 2013 Manfred Vijars
Now drought and flood and fire decline
to bring us down - but we decline
... this strengthens our Australia
---

Short & sweet...punchy! Good one Manfred. (I think you've got a 'typo' with 2 'declines' together? Maybe...'Now drought and flood and fire align.....'....?

Cheeers
Glenny

Good one Glenny - align works really well

Multicultural - That we are Neville and all the better for it - but we owe allegiance to only two flags as Australians, and IMO they should find a way to combine them to foster unity.

Glenny Palmer wrote: Short & sweet...punchy! Good one Manfred. (I think you've got a 'typo' with 2 'declines' together? Maybe...'Now drought and flood and fire align.....'....?

Cheeers
Glenny

Thanks Glenny, yes - a typo(now fixed). Val also pointed it out to me.
Thank you, you two ...

...you been reading croc's mail, Maureen..?

When conjurors made things disappear they were supposed to say " Hey Presto " when they made something appear it was " Hey Jingo " , I am not sure how, but that becomes "jingoism " which the OED says means " vulgarly dashing ", but I don't think I can see that in Manfred's poem.

"Vulgarly dashing" . . . look it up in the dictionary and there's a picture of Manfred

By JINGO, I think you've got it ...