Red Dust Australia

Australia sings a song of serpents rising up, creating life: Of rainbow colours pouring out their hope and yet delivering strife. Came some strangers, brought a Spirit waving truth and love profound, Freedom banners o’er her flying, raising up most glorious sound. A hundred years she waved this banner. Then the rust began to creep Soul-lessly across the landscape, making tracks and digging deep. Doors were opened. Yet more strangers trod her roads and dug their caves. ‘Truth,’ they said, ‘hath many meanings. We would like to dig some graves. There we’ll bury gentle grace – erect the boot-legged female tower, Raise the flag of left-brained reason o’er the right side sensing power. Cover up the mast of truth and on the ground confine its length, Let the winds of other options blow away the nation’s strength.’ We have need of nations’ favour. We will let all peoples in, Not discerning how they’ll answer to the truth we held within. We will wave the flag of freedom, even though the mast is gone, And that flag has perished weakly, divided for the invading throng, Yet we’ll splutter our pathetic hope they’ll like us if we do, As we hand the dream of freedom to the dictates of the few.’ ‘See what once was great Australia squirming in its own red dust.’ That’s the future if we do not rise as one in faithful trust, Yet believing in the Father who inspired our elders past To begin a practice of the faith that ever will outlast Every other. Great Australians, let this toleration cease For a system bound religion currently on the increase, Having just one single interest – that is taking prisoners fast, Waging war on those opposed, whose faith and courage does not last. Open up your long-lashed eyelids just enough to see the steam Of the train that’s slowly coming with its own imposing dream. Please cease flagging secularism - humanist faith that has no legs. There’s some quicksand in our future, if we hang out with these dregs.