Shine - Anglican Retirement Villages

Shine poetry competition winner
Summer Journey by Patricia Hilder
22 shine
Brown, parched paddocks,
Even the gums look lifeless—
Desperate
In the blazing noonday sun;
On the dusty roadside
A few golden daisies
Defy the summer drought
And brightly bloom,
Their cheeky faces
A reassuring patch of colour
In this thirsty, sun dried land.
A little further north
A fleeting rain shower;
Briefly cooling, a respite
From this relentless, summer heat,
But useless to this dried up land,
No solace for the wizened trees—
Just a momentary freshening
Of the heavy hot, dry air.
Then as evening softly falls
Across the wide sweep of the downs
Across the shadowy plains
On the horizon we see the lightning—
Great sheets and jagged flashes—
Lighting the sky like Royal fireworks
Too far away to hear the thunder
That could bring life-giving rain.
And we wonder as we travel on
When will the drought break?
When will the good rains fall again?
When will the land be green again
And the trees regain their pride?
But for now there’s only
The brave little daisy
Blooming in the ditch
On the dusty roadside
To defy our climate’s cruel whims
And be a golden talisman
Of hope.