It Is A Brown Old Countryside Poem by Francis Duggan

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.