Beneath the Southern Cross

I love this wide brown country,
From red centre to the sea,
Its deserts and its rivers,
It's the only place for me.

I sit and gaze each evening,
I'm never at a loss,
Stare into the night above me,
And see the Southern Cross.

This land that I will always,
Call my very own,
Has so many different places,
That one could make their home.

There's something about this country,
Don't know if it's because,
We're spread around all over,
This land we simply call just Oz.

We don't have many people,
In fact so very few,
But all of those that I have met,
Have said "Gudday to you".

Many cannot understand us,
But we're not so mild or meek,
We've made our own direction,
Our own English we do speak.

Have you ever heard, it's "bonzer"?
It really means Okay,
Just this unique language of ours,
One of many words we say.

We have a laid back attitude,
Don't care so much at all,
But when another cries for help,
We answer every call.

There's never been a war,
Within our great country,
But our soldiers have all fought bravely,
So others could be free.

They've fought on foreign soil
And many now there lie,
They stood amongst the free world,
Accepted their turn to die.

Our numbers may not be many,
I suppose it's very true,
When counted against others,
There's perhaps only a few.

But that few do carry spirit,
Handed down throughout the years,
It was christened at Gallipoli,
With blood, and sweat, and tears.

I could write a history,
Of all the service seen,
By members of our military,
But you know just what I mean.

The kangaroo and wallaby,
Are really not the same,
The platypus and dingo,
Just far too many to name.

Step into the rainforest,
Where bird life does abound,
Stand quietly, look around you,
Lorikeet and rosella will come down.

Cliffs drop to the ocean,
And miles of clean white sand,
There is so much variety,
Within this unique piece of land.

The deserts look so barren,
Seems nothing will exist,
But with the slightest rainfall,
Comes a sight you cannot miss.

A culture that dates back,
To years when time begun,
When all of nature and men within it,
Lived side by side as one.

Every land upon this Earth,
Has something that shows through,
I guess the one that fits Australia though,
Is the boxing kangaroo.

Oh yes we've had our moments,
Of storms, and floods, and droughts,
But I would live nowhere else on earth
Of that I have no doubt.

We have freedoms in this country,
The right to say and do,
Whatever we may want to,
As long as it is true.

So one day soon I ask you,
Come visit, sit in wonder,
As you gaze upon things so different,
In the place we call "Down Under".

Next time you look at a world map,
Do not be at a loss,
Look at the "Land Down Under",
Beneath the Southern Cross.

A bit of education for our non Aussie readers:-
"Southern Cross" - A constellation of stars seen in the night sky no matter where you are in Australia. It doesn't matter where you live you can always see the Southern Cross in the night sky (provided it isn't cloudy of course). We even have a town called Southern Cross in Western Australia. Hence we are known as "The Land Beneath The Southern Cross."

"Boxing Kangaroo" - The boxing kangaroo was first made famous in the TV series "Skippy", but is probably better known as the flag flown during the 1983 America's Cup campaign, when a syndicate led by Alan Bond, with a yacht skippered by John Bertrand became the first to win the America's Cup from the USA in over 120 years. The green coloured flag with a yellow kangaroo wearing red boxing gloves has become a sort of national "unofficial" symbol.

"Gallipoli" - Although Australian soldiers fought in earlier wars (New Zealand Land Wars, Sudan Campaign, Boer War and the Boxer Rebellion) these were all campaigns that sent servicemen from individual states. After Federation of the States into a Commonwealth in 1901, Australia fought for the first time as a nation (in company with New Zealand troops) at Gallipoli. The legend of the Australian fighting soldier was really born at Gallipoli, by the ANZAC troops. (Australian New Zealand Army Corps).

"Down Under" - Australia has always been known as the Land Down Under, supposedly because we walk upside down.

Thank you Dark Blue Knight for allowing me to use your poem.
For more true blue; Aussie poems, visit the home of
The Dark Blue Knight.

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