FIVE MILLION SQUARE MILES . . .

FIVE MILLION SQUARE MILES OF ANCIENT LAND, POPULATION SPARSE
A LAND TORTURED BY FLOODS, FIRES, DROUGHT, BEARING IT'S SCARS
ENDLESS VISTAS, FAINT TRACKS ON LANDSCAPE OF MAN OR ANIMAL
SO REMOTE, FEW SIGNS OF HUMAN HABITATION, EVEN OF ABORIGINAL

WILD HORSES, BIRDS OF MANY COLOURS, WATER BUFFALO, CAMEL HERDS
FOSSILS OF EXTINCT ANIMALS THAT NEVER ANYWHERE ELSE OCCURED
ON ROCK FACES MANY CRUDE DRAWINGS BY EARLY ABORIGINAL MAN
DEPICTING HISTORY THROUGH THE AGES OF THIS WANDERING CLAN

SLOWY, SLOWLY, WHITE MAN CAME, WITH FORCE, STAKING HIS CLAIM
CONQUERING THE GREAT WILDERNESS, RAINFORESTS AND GIBBER PLAIN
TOWARDS HORIZON, FAR AWAY, NEVER COMING CLOSER, PROMISED LAND
BRINGING SHEEP, CATTLE, TAKING BIGGEST GAMBLE, OFTEN FATAL STAND

YEARS OF DROUGHT, FLOODS, FIRES, DESTROYING ALL, NOTHING LEFT
FRIGHTENING, SOUL DESTROYING, TOTALLY LEAVING ONE UTTERLY BEREFT IN SOME PLACES PEOPLE LIVE IN CAVES, COMFORTABLE, DEEP UNDERGROUND
TRYING TO ESCAPE THE RELENTLESS SUN'S HEAT, NEARLY ALL YEAR ROUND

A MAN'S COUNTRY, NOT A LIFE YOU'D SHARE WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE
MILES FROM CIVILISATION, HUMAN BEINGS, WOMAN HAD TO TOUGH
THE INCONVENIENCE, RAISING CHILDREN, IN THIS HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT
VERY FEW TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE, TOGETHER, AS ONE, WORKING LAND

FIVE MILLION SQUARE MILES, HEARTBREAKING, YET FULL OF NEVER ENDING HOPE UNBELIEVABLE HARDSHIPS, LONELINESS, PEOPLE LEARN SOMEHOW TO COPE
IT'S CALLED "THE OUTBACK", "THE NEVER NEVER", "THE BACK OF BEYOND"
SURVIVING, STRENGHTENING, NEVER EVER LETTING GO, INVINCEABLE BOND

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STRANGER THAN FICTION . . . .

Something made them pause, brief look at one another, mere chance
a meeting of lost souls, giving rein to dormant Love, during a dance
an unknown force to both, suddenly coming to live, least expected
could this have been, by one or the other, a feeling of being rejected?

Different lifestyles, ages, nothing in common outwardly, so to say
yet seemingly inevitable dormant love had to be awakened this way
there are never any explanations for surprises in life's merry-go-round
to some, seemingly attuned to life, even these happenings, do astound

Enveloping them with strong Love in times of loneliness, not feeling bereft
a Love, proportinate emotions, encouraging respect, certainly no regret
more of a meeting of like minds, a platonic friendship of physical closeness
to see them together, of great Love between them, one would never guess

It brought emotions to the surface in each of them, which they never knew
balancing a daily life of which the high and lows are now infrequent, very few realising that, a great mystery in their life, is happening here and now
perhaps in future, not guarded carefully, will raise many a critical eyebrow

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A LAND OF FAR HORIZONS . . .

It's a world, young in earth time, in throes of creation still
full off fierce beauty, adventure, your senses it will thrill
battered by drought, drenched by rain, searing hot sun
cooled by ocean breezes, savage and yet serene in turn

To early explorers, not finding water, was greatest enemy
endless empty horizons, a very occasional stunted tree
lots of courage, tenacity, to explore this unforgiving land
for days alone, maybe encountering hostile Aboriginal band

Land of sometimes persistent hot sun, haunting, yet beautifull
after rain carpets of wild flowers, rain filled rock pool
glistening like black glass, meteriotic debris, in setting sun
different scenery slowly emerging, another night has begun

Millions of stars, full moon, lighting up this treeless plain
very few wild animals, wild dingo howls, distant sound of train
roar of faraway pounding sea, strange sounds of the night
most beautifull sunrises, animals of the night take flight

Along the coastline the early morning sun illuminates sea mist
thrown up by waves of pounding sea,upon these majestic cliffs
some rock falls, more poised to fall, a scar striped cliff face
labyrinth of underground caves, surface cracks, dangerous place

Inland, ruins of homesteads, graves of those trying to tame this land
nature, in it's wisdom, slowly covering them with shifting sand
those of us having been there, want to return, again and again
to experience it all again, the grandeur of the Nullarbor Plain