"This Is Her Country" by Angie Snell suitable for the ladies!

[Angie]

The sun creeps over the mountain and begins another day
The birds they sing a chours a brilliant display
She throws a saddle on her stock horse and rides of into the sun
This is her country and a beautiful days begun

She breaks into a gallop apon this sunburnt land
Her kelpies right behind her a faithful helping hand
They find the wethers on the fence line and move them to the shed
They bound right through the gate way as she counts 800 head

She steps into the wool shed and draws her deepest breath
Inhailing the lanolin this part she loves the best
The cutters keep the rythm of the shearers graceful dance
The rouseabout and classer chat and laugh at every chance

She tails a mob of cattle in the early morning glow
A cold breeze blows apon her face a feeling every drover knows
The wind blows through the grass and moves it gently like the sea
She smiles to herself there is no place she'd rather be

The dust is thick and heavy as it rises from the earth
The cattle cry and bellow as stockmen prove thier worth
She wipes the blood from off her face and climbs back to her feet
A cheerful voice calls out to her " he nearly had you beat! "

All she tastes is dust as she drinks her billy tea
She loves a hard days work more then many would believe
And in the warmth of winter sun she sits and eats her lunch
Jokes and laughs with work mates about all that they have done

Shadow moves across the mountain as cloud moves across the sun
Her horses ears flicker as she pionts him at a log
They break into a canter her hearts high above this land
Soaring like a brolga flying in the air

She loves everything about it from the mountains up so high
To the cockatoos and pink galahs littering the sky
The kangaroos and emu graze in paddocks bare
The dingo trotting slowly right back to his lair

The iron bark and gum trees cast thier shade apon the ground
The kookaburra laughing gives such a familiar sound
A sky so crisp and blue with clouds drifting gently on
A river bursts its banks so furious in flood

And as another days work is over and she heads her horse for home
She smells of horse and sweat and dust but no one will ever know
She sings along to the hoof beats song so gental as he walks
Night is drawing closer as she reaches down and pats her horse

She stares into the distance at something moving on the run
A mob of kangaroos bound into setting sun
A sight so beautiful that not many folks will see
That fills her heart with happiness for this is her country.

Written by Angie Snell 2009 ©

[Bernard de Silva]

G'day Angie,
            And thanks for the read, seems like the voice of experience Mate...
                                                  Cheers, and welcome...
                                                                     Bernie...

[Angie]

Hey! Thanks! Yeah I guess there is a lot of me in the poem! I wrote it thinking about somene I know who loves this country as much as I do but who is packing up and moving to the US I couldnt imagine doing that the poem says why.

Its great to see bush poetry is alive and well. I dont think many people in my generation will carry it on but I'm sure gonna try!

[zondrae]

Welcome Angie,
I read this poem first on the ABPA site. I had the feeling that you are a younger poet. This is reinforced by your comments here. Good on you for standing up for Australian Poetry. You are not alone. I have met many younger performers and writers who are determined to carry on the tradition. You have covered a wide area of topics in your poem (horses, droving, shearing, the Snowy mountains etc.)  and done it very well. There is a slight deviation in your rhyme here and there but otherwise a most inspiring poem.

I'm sure I speak for others on this site when I say, I'm looking forward to seeing some more of your poems.

[Spinifex]

Glad you pointed me in this direction to read more of you work Angie.
But it's not just for you females this great land of ours you know?
Us blokes love it too.
If you ever get the oppotunity go see God's Own Country the
Kimberley of W.A. the Pilbara probably runs a close second.

Keep on to your generation to read the likes of Ogilvie, Lawson,
Paterson etc it's our history and heritage and must not be forgotten
by young Australians.

 Cheers
       Corin

[Angie]

Thanks! I mean a poem that a ladies could perform if they chose to I read somewhere they were looking for poems I would love to see all of Australia and so far have found that no part is more beautiful then other just simply different which is why I love it!

As for my generation sometimes I wonder if there is much hope for the future the way they carry on! But I try my hardest to talk of our history which is so important to who we are today.

Thanks
Angie

[ringer]

Hi Angie,
loved this poem real bush stuff that I relate to have done most of what the poem describes.
thanks for the read.
ringer