| Author | Date Entered/Modified | Views |
| Janine Daniel | 9/30/2000 11:22:53 AM 7/21/2009 11:03:01 AM | 228 |
Blowing On The Wind
Blowing On The Wind
-------------------------
It's been nine long months since it rained
And our earth is parched and dry
Yet with the big floods of last year
We watched as our wildlife drowned
Now the cattle are dying in droves
And our sheep are falling over where they stand
There's no water for the thirsty beasts
And only dry tears from the eyes of man
I watch as carrion crows clear the earth
Picking off meat to the bone
Screeching and fighting in the dry air
Leaving a carcass rancid and fly blown
While lying on grass so dry it takes but a spark
To turn it into a fiery red glow
Now everything runs frantically from it's path
As a firestorm ruthlessly spreads
Aided by hot northerly winds
And no water to put out the fire
We watch it jump from treetop to tree
And shiver in fear for our lives
Brave men too exhausted to go on
And so small in the face of the inferno
Beating at flames with wet hessian bags
Trying to win the fight with each blow
Just when despair threatens to take hold
And worried this time we won't win
A hint of rain rejoices our hearts
When we smell it blowing on the wind
Help comes at last from the sky
And a deluge of rain crashes down
Jubilently we dance with our arms in the air
Thankful our luck has turned around
After the last spark has gone
Devestation can be seen all around
Our tears freely flow from our tired, sore eyes
And not a bird, tree or animal can be found
But nature works silently like magic
And we start to rebuild our lives
A tiny green bud breaks the ground
And the Australian landscape revives
©Janine Daniel
By: Janine Daniel
Author's Comments
2005. Once again I've rewritten this poem. I've changed the name from Blowing In The Wind to Blowing On The Wind and also changed a few words. Our water situation has gotten worse since I first wrote this poem. Now our water restriction is critical.
2002. I've re-written this poem, changed it's name from "Life In Australia ....the Firestorm" and added another verse (No. 7).
2000. Life in Australia, we sometimes wonder how we can go on yet we do. You can't hide from a bushfire but only run for your lives. We're desperate for rain where I live. Our dams that feed our cities are critically low yet when it does rain it's in all the wrong places. We're losing our good top soil from our land. When it does finally rain the earth is packed so hard the water runs off and causes floods while washing the top layer away. What can we do except keep going and hope that things will change soon. It was 31 degrees celsius today (87 degrees farenhiet) yet summer is a long way off. Soon we might all have to live underground.
| Author | Date Entered/Modified | Views |
| Janine Daniel | 9/30/2000 11:22:53 AM 7/21/2009 11:03:01 AM | 228 |
| Author | Web | |
| Janine Daniel | janine@spinnys.com | www.spinnys.com |
Total Comments: 25
Comments | |||
| Sue Allie | bttfly9@yahoo.com | www.geocities.com/Heartland/Garden/9843 | 9/30/2000 10:03:38 PM |
| Many places all over the earth are affected. Global warming, habitat destruction, ozone alerts, etc. We had more than enough rain here from April-July. Other places had wild fires, record heat and early snows. Where is this all going? | |||
| Claud | klugecc@jps.net | 9/30/2000 11:43:37 PM | |
| We can certainly relate to your plight. We have a lot of the same here in the west. Just yesterday a fire broke out about 15 miles west of where we live and fanned by brisk North winds, It has already consumed 6800 acres and they say it is only 10% contained. Nasty business, fire! | |||
| Daniel A. Stafford | aqmstaffo@mailbag.com | 10/2/2000 5:47:02 AM | |
| Janine, this is a fact, the true power of nature is awesome and holds no regard to anything. Your poem is a good, clear example of such. I keep wondering what could be done, but every idea that comes to mind seems small in comparison to the problem. If you turn the soil to break the hard pack, how do you cover enough area, and the wind will blow it away like in the dust bowl era here in the states in the 30's. Perhaps your folk might research that time here and see what the farmers here came up with or the relief was? I don't know if there's anything useful to you and yours to be found there, but who knows. You and yours will be in my prayers. | |||
| Shannon Wendler | shannon7112@earthlink.net | 11/5/2000 1:00:56 AM | |
| Goodness! Janine you captured it well cause I felt like I was there. Good work on this. Shannon | |||
| Rachelle Wiegand | rwpoet@home.com | 11/5/2000 1:31:27 AM | |
| The fires must have been something terrible! How long ago was this, Janine? & have they recovered? Good piece, the part about the carcasses and flies...made my tummy do a flip flop....I am little sissy :) Very good piece, it conveys the devestation of draught and the fires very impactfully. Rachelle | |||
| Mary Stone | mid-lace@webtv.net | 11/5/2000 2:03:26 AM | |
| Very good writing Janine:) | |||
| Sam Iam. | 6/10/2001 8:32:16 AM | ||
| Fantastic imagery! This pulled me along for the ride, bleak and desolate, then triumphant in the end! Wonderful stuff here... | |||
| Rachelle Wiegand | 6/10/2001 8:44:44 AM | ||
| Janine, How devestating! You did well with this- something that is really affecting your reality. This stanza is the one that I liked best: Just when despair threatens to take hold And worried this time they won't win A hint of rain rejoices their hearts They can smell it blowing in the wind I like a sign of hope in a poem- It shows the optimism of the writer, also. Great work! ~Rachelle | |||
| Janine Daniel | spinnys@hotmail.com | www.spinnys.com | 6/16/2001 7:53:08 AM |
| I won Topic of the Week at Literary Angels with this poem. 6/11/01 | |||
| dhicks | 6/16/2001 7:55:04 AM | ||
| Awesome write Janine!! Congrats!!! Dennis~ | |||
| Spaz | 6/16/2001 8:07:22 AM | ||
| yes... yes... and congratulations to you my dear! Very well done! | |||
| Joveac | 6/16/2001 8:10:17 AM | ||
| go girl. goodonyamate! congratz! joveac | |||
| Shannon Wendler | 6/16/2001 8:17:23 AM | ||
| WOOOOOHOOOOO!!! Happy to see Ms. Janine in the winner circle again! Joveac said it best YOU GO GIRL! I think I have a few awards that might belong to you! SHAME ON SHANNON SHAME ON SHANNON!!! | |||
| Silkie | 6/16/2001 8:30:55 AM | ||
| ROFLMAO@Shannon! Congratulations Janine. This was an excellent piece. The story was fantastic and it's imagery very vivid. You definately deserved this win! | |||
| Blaque Velvet | 6/16/2001 8:35:02 AM | ||
| You're a good poet. I can tell you write almost everyday and a good poet always writes. Keep impressing the world with your talent. | |||
| Rachelle | 6/16/2001 8:37:59 AM | ||
| Great work, Janine! Congratulations & I hope that you guys get plenty more rain!! | |||
| Debbie | 7/20/2002 2:25:18 PM | ||
| Janine, this is brilliant! A very clear description of what a bushfire delivers! I had goosebumps while reading this brilliant poem! I could see the flames, smell the smoke, taste the rain!! Your last stanza put the smile back on my face... Nature, indeed, works like magic!!! Great work!! | |||
| Rachelle | 7/20/2002 2:37:55 PM | ||
| Janine, A very scary and sad disaster! I remember last year your poem about the floods, now brushfires.. the poor habitation! Excellent great awareness for others that do not live in Australia, and aren't aware of all of the elements that can affect you all there. I feel for those that have lost their homes, including the precious habitat and animal life! Good poem, Janine! ~Rachelle~ The Songbird | |||
| Debbie | 7/20/2002 2:41:54 PM | ||
| Gidday, Janine! you're welcome!!! Keep up the great work!! | |||
| Mark Woods | 7/20/2002 2:44:34 PM | ||
| First, very good!!! Yea, we get those in the Eastern all the way over to Wyoming.. Not much to do when mother nature wants to clear the dried brush off the landscape.. Just get out of her way. When she is done it will rain and keep on like it always does. Little green buds popping out of the ground. | |||
| Shiela | 8/25/2004 2:51:35 AM | ||
| That's really good Janine. I can picture those scenes you describe in your poem. It's sad and heartening at the same time. | |||
| Alaura dus | 8/16/2005 4:15:38 AM | ||
| Super write, Janine. Your descriptions and imagery are wonderful :) Enjoyed~ ~Alaura | |||
| poeticpiers | 8/16/2005 4:16:54 AM | ||
| M'lady I am fast becoming a fan of your wordsmithing Ivor | |||
| MysticWings575 | 8/16/2005 4:18:09 AM | ||
| If it isn't one extreme, it's the other... glad you finally got some rain. Beautiful write, I truly enjoyed. ~Mystic~ | |||
| whatup64106 | 8/16/2005 4:19:37 AM | ||
| I didn't just read this, I felt this. I feel hot like suffocated or something. Great writing. | |||
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