The family gathered to celebrate the new baby
A home filled with love, past memories and joy
Smells from the kitchen perforate the room
Children and laughter, barking dogs, purring cats
Aunty Flo’s paintings proudly decorate the walls
Grannies old rocking chair in pride of place
The new couch and chairs bought on time, admired by all
Familiar objects overflowing, a house filled with love
A front yard carefully tendered flowers in tidy beds
Large back yard, old mango tree, gums and weathered swing
The twins playing happily by the river bed near bye
People, cats, dogs, chickens and ducks all in harmony
A picture of content, hard work and mortgage paid
The sun as usual, blistering heat, on a perfect Aussie day
Then blessed rain, falling softly on the old tin roof
Rain, rain, rain, at last such a blessed relief
After so many months of intense heat and dry dusty days
Rain, rain, thunderstorms and more rain
Days of rain, rain non stop, rain never ceasing.
Rivers rising, water flowing every- where, rain, rain
Sand bags and trenches dug, trying to stop the inevitable
Rising rivers, warnings given, sudden evacuation necessary
Escape now the only answer, children gathered
Babies crying not understanding the agony around
Roads blocked, bridges down, cars and belongings floating bye
Life to be saved survival all that matters now
Neighbours helping neighbours, pregnant women giving birth
People clinging to rooftops, cars and trees, volunteers risking lives
Shelter given, food, blankets, coffee and cups of tea
Arms outstretched to devastated people trying to find hope
The country coming together doing all it can to help
Day’s later families returning to destroyed hopes and dreams
Mud, stench, debris and brown murky water, nothing to be saved
No couch, swing or rocking chair, pictures all destroyed
Back yard gone, trees destroyed nothing but sludge and stench
Such a heart breaking human toll of such unprecedented scale
Lives, homes and livings lost in a tsunami like destruction
Australia, Australia our land of drought and floods!
Copyright © Lizzie Treetop | Year Posted 2011