Rockets

The Aurora Australis

~ Mary Hannay Foott


A radiance in the midnight sky

No white moon gave, nor yellow star;

We thought its red glow mounted high

Where fire and forest fought afar,

 

 

Half questioning if the township blazed,

Perchance, beyond the boundary hill;

Then, finding what it was, we gazed

And wondered till we shivered chill.

And Fancy showed the sister-glow

Of our Aurora, sending lines

Of lustre forth to tint the snow

That lodges in Norwegian pines.

And South and North alternate swept

In vision past us, to and fro;

While stealthy winds of midnight crept

About us, whispering fast and low.

The North, whose star burns steadily,

High set in heaven long ago:

The South, new-risen on the sea,

A tremulous horizon-glow.

We mused, “Shall there be gallant guests

Within our polar hermitage,

As on the shore where Franklin rests,

And others, named in Glory's page?

And, “Shall the light we look on blaze

Above such battles as have been,

In other countries, other days,

The giants and the gods between?”

Till one declared, “We live to-night

In what shall be the poet's world:

The lands 'neath our Aurora's light

Are as the rocks the Titans hurled.

“From southern waters, ice-enthralled,

Year after year the rays that glance

Shall see the Desert shrink appalled

Before the City's swift advance.

“Shall see the precipice a stair,

The river as a road. And then

There shall be voices to declare

This work was wrought by manly men.”

 And so our South all stately swept

In vision past us, to and fro;

While stealthy winds of midnight crept

About us, whispering fast and low.

What a week people.  Flu, mad frenzy in the big open plan office (I mean really mad, frenetic, crazy, led by jet-propelled, 'intuitive decision-making' - to borrow from Kerry) and three sprogs to feed.   Just when I have a half hour to spare, the computer won't upload photos so I have to use more images from our mega road trip this summer.  Hence the ute on a stick above taken in none other than Deniliquin in New South Wales -- home of the Ute Muster.  Hopefully when the IT HelpDesk gets home from playing hockey tonight, I can get a quick solution in time for {this moment}.  We're off to swimming lessons as usual.  Cate take note! ;-)  It's all 'rocket' arms and tumble turns and butterfly kicks.   We're even models in an AUSTSWIM conference shortly.  That's dedication.