My Home
In my passing think of me no other
than with a heart emboldened - loved our sunburnt land
that here under the wide expanse of sky
We, from all the globe's corners, 'One Australia, ' cry
this young nation strong, built on dreams and hopes -
In her arms each Australian lad and lass would find
through her seasons, Freedom's encouragement:
that eternal pulse of mateship, fairness and peace
brilliant light shines under her southern skies
guiding our thoughts and hearts homeward to freely roam.
poem by Frederick Kesner
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Related quotes
Eventide
The day is past and the toilers cease;
The land grows dim 'mid the shadows grey,
And hearts are glad, for the dark brings peace
At the close of day.
Each weary toiler, with lingering pace,
As he homeward turns, with the long day done,
Looks out to the west, with the light on his face
Of the setting sun.
Yet some see not (with their sin-dimmed eyes)
The promise of rest in the fading light;
But the clouds loom dark in the angry skies
At the fall of night.
And some see only a golden sky
Where the elms their welcoming arms stretch wide
To the calling rooks, as they homeward fly
At the eventide.
It speaks of peace that comes after strife,
Of the rest He sends to the hearts He tried,
Of the calm that follows the stormiest life --
God's eventide.
poem by John McCrae
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I Believe In America
I Believe In America…., we’re a nation of hopes and dreams…..,
Sweet freedom will fill our needs…., I Believe In America.
I Believe In America…., I believe we must fight for peace….,
My faith in us will never cease…., I Believe In America.
With His strength from up above…,
We’ll prevail on our massive quest…,
Our nation breathes kindness and love…..,
We’ll lead our world to happiness.
I Believe In America…, we are united in democracy….,
Defeating evil and hypocrisy…., I Believe In America.
Our Lord is watching every move we make…..,
I know He’ll help us do our best….,
Guiding us with every step we take….,
Because our lives are truly blessed.
I Believe In America…., we’re a nation of hopes and dreams…..,
Sweet freedom will fill our needs…., I Believe In America.
Yes, I Believe In America.
poem by Trade Martin
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I Love This Land Australia
I love this Land Australia of gum and wattle tree
This vast and sunlit Continent is home from home for me
And though I come from a distant Land when I have had my day
Than underneath Australian soil where better place to lay.
I love this Land Australia home of the kangaroo
Of echidna and wombat, platypus and cockatoo
Of lorikeet and rosella, koala, possum and emu
And other unusual birds and animals as I've mentioned just a few.
I like Australian people if poor man make good they say
The man he is a battler, good on him anyway,
In Land of wedge tailed eagle there's rooom to spread one's wings
And in the lucky country the battler is a king.
I love this Land Australia it's home from home for me,
Home of the kookaburra and gum and wattle tree
And bell bird and bell magpie who through the Winter sing
A Winter oft times milder than Ireland in the Spring.
I love this Land Australia of sunshine and bird song
And with each passing day my love for this great Country grow more strong
And though I come from a distant Land when I have had my day
Than underneath Australian soil where better place to lay.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Guiding Light
the road is long, and the road is tough
but we have not traveled it enough.
we do not know what lurks in the dark corners
or behind every shadow.
but our faith and love is our guiding light.
and will always shine bright.
this light will be like a lighthouse beacon
leading you home, and knowing
you'll never be alone.
this guiding light not only shines in our hearts and minds
but will last for all of time.
this is the light of the LORD above,
who always gives his guiding love.
if you guide your heart in the right direction
it will always seek perfection.
look around and you will see
that all nations are longing to be free.
just like a ship stranded at sea
this light is there for you and me.
the mysteries to life we must unravel
for it's a long hard road that we must travel.
so seek the lord and you will find
that true love will unwind.
poem by Louis Rams
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A Word from the Bards
IT IS New Year’s Day and I rise to state that here on the Sydney side
The Bards have commenced to fill out of late and they’re showing their binjies with pride
They’re patting their binjies with pride, old man, and I want you to understand,
That a binjied bard is a bard indeed when he sings in the Southern Land,
Old chaps,
When he sings in the Southern Land.
For the Southern Land is the Poet’s Home, and over the world’s wide roam,
There was never till now a binjied bard that lived in a poet’s home, old man;
For the poet’s home was a hell on earth, and I want you to understand,
That it isn’t exactly a paradise down here in the Southern Land,
Old chap,
Down here in the Southern Land.
The Beer and the Bailiff were gone last night and the “temple” doorstep clean,
And our heads are clear and our hearts are light with wine from the Riverine—
With wine from the Riverine, old man, and I want you to understand
That Bard, Beer and Bailiff too long were kin down here in the Southern Land,
Old man,
Down here in the Southern Land.
It is not because of a larger fee, nor yet that the bards are free,
For the bards I know and the bards I see are married enough for three;
Are married enough for three, old man, and I want you to understand,
They’ve a right to be married enough for four, down here in the Southern Land,
My girl,
Down here in the Southern Land.
But I think it’s because a bird went round and twittered in ears of men
That bards have care and the world seems bare as seen from the rhyming den,
And twittered in ears of men, old chaps, and got folks to understand
That a poet is something more than a joke down here in the Southern Land,
Old man,
Down here in the Southern Land.
poem by Henry Lawson
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Song for Australia
There is a land where summer skies
Are gleaming with a thousand dyes
Blending in witching harmonies,
in harmonies;
and grassy knoll and forest height,
are flushing in the rosy light,
And all above is azure bright -
Australia, Australia, Australia.
There is a land where honey flows
Where laughing corn luxuriant grows;
Land of the myrtle and the rose,
land of the rose.
On hill and plain the clustering vine
Is gushing out with purple wine,
And cups are quaffed to thee and thine -
Australia, Australia, Australia.
There is a land where treasures shine
Deep in the dark unfathomed mine
For worshippers at Mammon's Shrine;
Where gold lies hid, and rubies glean,
And fable wealth no more doth seem
The idle fancy of a dream
Australia, Australia, Australia.
There is a land where homesteads peep
From sunny plain and woodland steep
And love and joy bright vigils keep;
Where the glad voice of childish glee
Is mingling with the melody
Of nature's hidden minstelsy
Australia, Australia, Australia.
There is a land where floating free,
From mountain top to girdling sea,
A proud flag waves exultingly, exultingly
And freedom's sons the banner bear,
No shackled slave can breathe the air;
Fairest of Britain's daughter fair
Australia, Australia, Australia.
poem by Caroline Carleton
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Finlandia
This is my song
Oh God of all the nations
A song of peace
For lands afar and mine
This is my home
The country where my heart is
Here are my hopes
My dreams my holy shrine
But other hearts
In other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams
As true and high as mine
My countries skies
Are bluer than the ocean
And sunlight beams
On clover leaf and pine
But other lands
Have sunlight too and clover
And skies are everywhere
As blue as mine
Oh hear my song
Oh God of all the nations
A song of peace
For their land and for mine
song performed by by Indigo Girls
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Three Kings [1]
The East is dead and the West is done, and again our course lies thus
South-east by Fate and the Rising Sun where the Three Kings wait for us.
When our hearts are young and the world is wide, and the heights seem grand to climb—
We are off and away to the Sydney-side; but the Three Kings bide their time.
‘I’ve been to the West,’ the digger said: he was bearded, bronzed and old;
Ah, the smothering curse of the East is wool, and the curse of the West is gold.
I went to the West in the golden boom, with Hope and a life-long mate,
‘They sleep in the sand by the Boulder Soak, and long may the Three Kings wait.’
‘I’ve had my fling on the Sydney-side,’ said a blacksheep to the sea,
Let the young fool learn when he can’t be taught: I’ve learnt what’s good for me.’
And he gazed ahead on the sea-line dim—grown dim in his softened eyes—
With a pain in his heart that was good for him—as he saw the Three Kings rise.
A pale girl sits on the foc’sle head—she is back, Three Kings! so soon;
But it seems to her like a life-time dead since she fled with him ‘saloon.’
There is refuge still in the old folks’ arms for the child that loved too well;
They will hide her shame on the Southern farm—and the Three Kings will not tell.
’Twas a restless heart on the tide of life, and a false star in the skies
That led me on to the deadly strife where the Southern London lies;
But I dream in peace of a home for me, by a glorious southern sound,
As the sunset fades from a moonlit sea, and the Three Kings show us round.
Our hearts are young and the old hearts old, and life, on the farms is slow,
And away in the world there is fame and gold—and the Three Kings watch us go.
Our heads seem wise and the world seems wide, and its heights are ours to climb,
So it’s off and away in our youthful pride—but the Three Kings bide our time.
poem by Henry Lawson
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Passing Strangers 2
A candle flickers shining bright,
a homeward beacon in the night
for wayward passing strangers
on their lingering flight.
The flame holds out a welcome
with its warm beckoning light
for any passing stranger
that may have lost their way.
The candle never fades and dies,
but remains an eternal light
for all passing strangers
to grasp as a homeward light.
23 July 2010
poem by David Harris
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Heed Not!
Heed not the cock-sure tourist,
Seeing with English eyes;
Stroked at the banquet table
Still, with the old stock lies—
Pet of a social circle,
Guest in a garden fair—
Free of the first-class carriage—
He learns no Australia there.
Heed not the Southern humbugs
By the first saloons who come—
From his work in the wide, hot scrub-lands
The Australian goes not home.
Give them the toadies’ knighthood,
Fit for the souls they’ve got;
Fear not to shame Australia
For Australia knows them not.
Heed not the Sydney ‘dailies,’
Naught for the land they do;
Heed not the Melbourne street crowd,
For they know no more than you!
Pent in the coastal cities,
Still on the old-world track—
They know naught of Australia,
Of the heart of the great Out-Back.
But wait for the voice that gathers
Strength by the western creeks!
Heed ye the Out-Back shearers—
List when the Great Bush speaks!
Heed ye the black-sheep, working
His own salvation free—
And Oh! heed ye the sons of the exiles
When they speak of the things to be!
poem by Henry Lawson
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My Land and I
They have eaten their fill at your tables spread,
Like friends since the land was won;
And they rise with a cry of "Australia's dead!"
With the wheeze of "Australia's done!"
Oh, the theme is stale, but they tell the tale
(How the weak old tale will keep!)
Like the crows that croak on a splintered rail,
That have gorged on a rotten sheep.
I would sing a song in your darkest hour
In your darkest hour and mine –
For I see the dawn of your wealth and power,
And I see your bright star shine.
The little men yelp and the little men lie,
And they spread the lies afar;
But we heed them never, my Land and I,
For we know how small they are.
They know you not in a paltry town –
In the streets where great hopes die –
Oh, heart that never a flood could drown,
And never a drought could dry!
Stand forth from the rim where the red sun dips,
Strong son of the land's own son –
With the grin of grit on your drought-chapped lips
And say, is your country done?
Stand forth from the land where the sunset dies,
By the desolate lonely shed,
With the smile of faith in your blighted eyes,
And say, is your country dead?
They see no future, they know no past –
The parasite cur and clown,
Who talk of ruin and death to last
When a man or a land is down.
God sends for answer the rain, the rain,
And away on the western lease,
The limitless plain grows green again,
And the fattening stock increase.
We'll lock your rivers, my land, my land,
Dig lakes on the furthest run –
While down in the corners where houses stand,
They drivel, "Australia's done!"
The parasites dine at your tables spread
(As my enemies did at mine),
And they croak and gurgle, "Australia's dead"
While they guzzle Australian wine.
But we heed them never, my land, my land,
For we know how small they are,
And we see the signs of a future grand,
As we gaze on a rising star.
poem by Henry Lawson
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Shelter From The Rain
When our hearts were young
We put our hands into the flames
Felt the heat from our emotions
We had fire in our veins
All those night wed spend
Alone in your room
Though my silent thoughts
I still remember
We would use the power of love
Free our souls in endless love
We would sacrifice
Our hopes and dreams
Because without love
Our world would surely die
When our hearts were young
We never thought that
Life would change
Now the seasons go on
Oh why do we shelter from the rain
And all those nights wed spend
Alone in your room
Through my silent thoughts
I still remember
When our hearts were young
We had fire in our veins
And each time we touched
Wed melt in the flames
When our hearts were young
We knew pleasure, we knew plain
But each time we kissed
Wed burn in the flames
Feel the fire in our veins
When our hearts were young ...
song performed by by Uriah Heep
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Forever Young
(r. stewart/j.cregan/k.savigar)
May the good lord be with you
Down every road you roam
And may sunshine and happiness
Surround you when youre far from home
And may you grow to be proud
Dignified and true
And do unto others
As youd have done to you
Be courageous and be brave
And in my heart youll always stay
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong
Build a stairway to heaven
With a prince or a vagabond
And may you never love in vain
And in my heart you will remain
Forever young, forever young
Forever young, forever young
Forever young
Forever young
And when you finally fly away
Ill be hoping that I served you well
For all the wisdom of a lifetime
No one can ever tell
But whatever road you choose
Im right behind you, win or lose
Forever young, forever young
Forever young ,forever young
Forever young, forever young
For, forever young, forever young
song performed by by Rod Stewart
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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V. The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
poem by Rupert Brooke (1915)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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1914 V: The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
poem by Rupert Brooke
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The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave once her flowers to love, her ways to roam;
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
poem by Rupert Brooke
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Heart Choices
All that I need is a willing heart, and The Lord will do all the rest,
Heeding His Word at the start, He will help me through any test.
My faith in The Lord is my part, as He helps me to do my best,
As God’s Spirit does not depart, giving me His peace and rest.
Dear friend, when I begin my day, after a long and restful night,
Heeding all His Word does say, it is for me God’s guiding Light,
Should darkness fall on the way, in His Spirit He gives me sight,
Guiding these fragile feet of clay; on a path with Him that’s right.
The Lord guides me with His Hand, as I journey through this life,
Helping me take a stable stand, to be strong in Him during strife,
Strife we can face in any land, where man’s darkness can be rife,
At that time I again understand, I get all peace from Jesus Christ.
In a world of so many voices, I simply choose to follow but one,
Helping me with all my choices; that voice is God’s Eternal Son,
In a land which seldom rejoices, we have joy that is not from fun,
It’s all about eternal choices, through His joy, that has just begun.
And, this all began in my heart, which The Lord has truly blessed,
When I was put on the Narrow Way, guided by The Savior’s Light,
And securely now in God’s Hand, placed in there by Jesus Christ,
In God’s Family, which rejoices, since we know, The Father’s Son.
Finlandia (live)
Finlandia" is a Sibelius composition, which the girls recorded on
their 1986 EP. Live versions are VERY infrequent, but they have
performed it as recently as last March.
Finlandia.
This is my song, O God of all the nations
A song of peace for lands afar and mine
This is my home, the country where my heart is
Here are my hopes and dreams, my holy shrine
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine
But other lands have sunlight, too, and clover
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations
A song of peace for their land and for mine
song performed by by Indigo Girls
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Seasons Reminder
The seasons are a reminder friend, that what begins will have an end.
It’s one more aspect of God’s design, that divides our world into time.
And friend that time is governed by, the greater light that’s in the sky.
When everyday the setting sun, says to a world, another day is done.
Then the lesser light begins to rise, above in the now darkened skies.
And then the moon begins to count, when that greater light goes out.
It counts for us a month of days, each using a different lunar phase.
Then as the sun begins to rise, the moon again, hides from our eyes.
Then there are the stars you see, scattered on the darkened canopy.
They appear throughout the night, filling the skies with a brilliant light.
Placed there by God’s own hand, for they’re interwoven into His plan,
May be there for many reasons, but we know they mark the seasons.
You can see within God’s Design, His finger upon the course of time.
Divine restrictions He put in place, to give life for all, a sensible pace.
Friend when the sun begins to set, God creates a time for all to rest.
Resting from those daily chores; to have a time alone with The Lord.
God can then refresh our hearts, and this before the next day starts.
Use the time to reflect on the end, where in Eternity you shall spend.
Where time like this will be no more, and we serve The Eternal Lord.
It’s there we will be truly blessed, when home in Eternity we can rest.
The sun and moon both will cease, as we enter into an eternal peace.
These weary times will cease to be, as together we enter into eternity.
The Eternity that we enter friend, unlike the present, will have no end.
As the final season of our lives, will be an eternal one in Jesus Christ.
(Copyright ©11/2005)
Rabbit Proof Fence
There are two Australian fences I'd like to talk about
One runs from the north down to the south to keep the rabbits out
The other is invisible - it's in Australian's minds
It’s a blinkered view of what it is to be part of humankind.
When Australia was first was colonised some two hundred years ago
The colonists they formed a view so that they could go
And claim each piece of land they found and make it for their own
Paying no respect or honour to those who had in this country grown
They stole this land directly from the Aborigines
Regarding them as savages without any dignity
Their currency was alcohol, diseased blankets and the gun
And they cleared this whole damn country fast once this clearing had begun.
They called it Terra Nullis to justify their gains
And they then gave Aborigines European sounding names
They would take all of their children and put them into homes
Of good god fearing people who would take them as their own
The aim of this was clearly born of a harsh philosophy
You cannot steal from people who have no identity
This form of cultural cleansing was fundamental to this land
And these stolen generations are now trying to understand
What it was was taken from their culture in the past
And what can now be full regained in a way that will long last.
Hundreds of their languages are now only spoken by a few
Traditions and communities need to begin anew
If the lie of Terra Nullis is to be rightfully exposed
And Australia's real history is to be more fully clothed
It's time to say we're sorry not just to say it's not our fault
If we don't understand this history then we're selling ourselves short
Of a magic in this country that sets it full apart
Of a land that has all peoples beating strongly in its heart.
The rabbits they were introduced to make Australia seem
More like the England left behind and part of that vain dream
Was to make this sunburnt country something that it never could
Be or even slow become and it's now clear that no good
Will ever come if fences stay - for Australia shall find
That as a fence cannot be rabbit proof nor can a state of mind.
poem by David Keig
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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