Saturday 26 January 2008

Happy Australia Day

so what are you doing today - we are celebrating being Australian -
do something aussie - eat something aussie, read a book, wear some cloths, listen to Aussie music - sew from Aussie designers.........have a BBQ throw some lamb chops on the BBQ..........more info about the history of the day here
...........get out there and have a wonderful day...........
here is one of my favourite pieces of peotry
enjoy
My Country - Dorothea MacKellar
The love of field and coppice
Of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance,
Brown streams and soft, dim skies
I know, but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests,
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops,
And ferns the warm dark soil.
Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us
We see the cattle die
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine
She pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze…
An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand
though Earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!!
Addition.........................................
here is a link to Leanne's blog with my other very favourite poem and a wonderful Aussie post by another Leanne..........

18 comments:

Fabricmom said...

Happy Australia Day. Love the poem.

Carole said...

Happy Australia Day! I listened to Midnight Oil and AD/DC! lol Have a great day!

Grazia said...

I have to confess my ignorance...I didn't know this celebration...and so..
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY !!!!!

P.S. I took a look at the site and now I know something else...thank you!

Pam said...

Happy Australia Day!! That is a great poem, very descriptive.

We had lamb chops on the BBQ Wednesday, does that count?

Jenny said...

Happy Australia Day to you too! We have the Tour Down Under on near where i live so it is a very good day-love the poem-one of my favourites too:)

*~hj~* said...

Happy Australia day!

Levin said...

we are having steak sandwiches tonight! on the bbq - so that's kinda australian. the cricket is on here in adelaide at the moment - it would have been good to go - great atmosphere. we will have to content ourselves by watching it on tv.
enjoy your day
l
x

The Naturalist's Daughter said...

Happy Australia Day. I love that poem, it just describes this country so well. It always moves me to read it. I'm doing some sewing today out of my scraps pile.

Kieny The Dutchlady said...

Happy Australia Day, enjoy!

Red Geranium Cottage said...

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!!!! Hope it's a good one for ya!!! If it wasn't raining I might throw something on the barbie. LOL!!

Anne Ida said...

Happy Australia Day! Hope you have a good one! :o)

dutchcomfort said...

Happy Australia Day!! I’m working on some Australian designer’s patterns. I will play some Crowded House and Men at Work today with all you Aussies in mind!!

Teodo said...

Great poem.

HAPPY AUSTRALIAN DAY!
ciao ciao

Joyce said...

Happy Australia Day!

Peg - Happy In Quilting said...

What a great Australia Day we had....we played some Aussie Music...had friends around and put some chops on the Barbie.....I just love this country...

Unknown said...

Happy Australian day to you all.

Floss said...

Also a favorite poem for me, normally I can only remember the second verse, thanks for posting this.

Nicky said...

Happy Australia day! I love that poem too.