It Is A Brown Old Countryside

It is a brown old countryside the countryside out there As far as the human eyes can see the paddocks brown everywhere The few stunted growing old green gum trees a contrast midst the brown Some 40 k's or even more to the nearest country town. In the bare sun bronzed old countryside few animals to be seen And by the highway searching for seeds red rumped parrots mostly light green One of the few species of birds to be seen in a landscape dry and bare Where save for insects other life forms to say the least seem rare. The creeks are dry for miles around and bone dry the roadside drain The drought ravaged bare countryside could do with lots of rain The landscape artists they have sketched it and it has inspired the bards to rhyme It was an old Land very old back in the Dreamtime. The ways of Nature I admit I struggle to understand Saltbush, brown shrub and stunted trees in the old sun bronzed land In a Land where few birds do reside bird song is a rare thing And only the hardiest of wildflowers do bloom in the dry country Spring.