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News & poems |
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AUSTRALIAN RAIN. Dawn Holland Australia Day 2011
How nice to wake up in the morning after a shower of rain overnight. The grass is so green and the air very clean And the sun shining ever so bright.
When I walk my dogs in the morning, especially after some rain, They sniff all the more at the smells they adore And they keep stopping again and again.
God’s gift of rain is amazing. New life appears all around. It gives us a reason to praise every season When lovely clean water abounds.
But the rain in Australia’s unreliable. We often have long years of drought, When the rain doesn’t fall and the crops fail to grow And the farmers’ life’s really in doubt.
Then the rains come along in abundance and you wonder when it will stop. Floods cover the land and the crops you thought grand Are ruined ‘cause the rain doesn’t stop.
Sometimes rain creates a disaster causing rivers to run fast and wide Dragging rubbish along and prized goods that belong To the people who live by its side.
Oh God, why’s this rain so destructive? We pray and wonder why. Are you trying to teach us or wanting to reach us To warn us that sin makes us die?
In our multicultural Australia we are all sharing in this pain. May we all work together, no matter the weather To help people hurt by this rain.
So help us to care for Australia and for all of its people as well. May our lives really show the way you would go And your love to all people to tell.
There has to be rain to make rainbows, a beautiful symbol of hope, So when rain falls upon us, let’s trust our God’s promise To give strength and courage to cope.
JANUARY FLOODS IN QUEENSLAND 2011 By Gloria Lamb What terrible news to wake up to to-day There's floods in the north, with more rain on the way. With a wall of rushing water, I stare with wonder At uprooted trees, a container and cars going under.
People climb on their roofs, it's happening so fast, Toowoomba has seen nothing like this in the past. An inland tsunami some people say Flooding the streets, destroying all in its way.
The Telly has been keeping us up to date Now the town of Grantham has met its fate. Hardly anything left, homes swept off their piers And for many famililes, they hold grave fears.
Sadly, so many lives have been lost Their possessions and property, can we count the cost? We'll hear of the terror, how difficult it must be, To save the children and get the aged to safety.
Extra water from the dam was released this week Now it’s Brisbane that's waiting for their river to peak, Though they’ve used sandbags, it’s flooded as well Filled up with rubbish, boats and snags, who can tell
How long it will take to clean up this mess When the water goes down, we can only guess How everything will be covered with slime and mud Causing infection, like what happened to Kevin Rudd.
All over the nation we're digging deep Donating money and food, anything that will keep. The Army has moved in doing what they can And our Prime Minister has pledged her monetary plan.
Community spirit has come to the fore Strangers and neighbours, whom they didn't know before Are shovelling mud, clearing rubbish, giving their all; Many thousand volunteers have answed the call.
The premier, Anna Bligh, on TV has spoken "We're Queenslanders, our spirit cannot be broken" "We'll get through this with the help of each other Using strength, our courage and concern for one another.”
It is a harsh country with floods and drought "Australia Day" reminds us of what it's about Our Lord gives us strength and is always on hand With faith, hope and love, God will bless our great land.
If you have the words to the poem “Bill Barbwire’s Murray Cod” please email us. |
