WHAT HAPPENED?

What happened to the land I knew when I was six years old ?
A place where pride and workmanship, outshone the greed for gold
What happened to the unlocked doors of houses and of cars?
Where now there is a state of fear with loud alarms and bars

What happened to the promise of a place beneath the sun ?
All the hopes this country had, have somehow been undone.
Who took away our liberty with endless stupid rules ?
The councils and the governments all run by oafs and fools.

I saw a land of innocence where everyone was free
But now they’ve locked the country up and thrown away the key.
We pay and pay for everything that once belonged to us
And no one has the guts it seems to stand and make a fuss

The public institutions that once met our wants and needs
Were sold by politicians who were all possessed by greed
I saw a land where everyone once had an equal chance
But all it takes is money now to get on and advance

I can’t believe we’ve let the chance to prosper pass us by
We choke the sea with sewage and pump waste into the sky
Now money is our only God and mammon rules our lives
As sweet as honey flowing from a million slaves in hives

What happened to Australia, the land of sweeping plains ?
We live just like a nest of ants devoid of wit and brains
As long as there’s another beer still waiting in the fridge
We grin and say that ‘she’ll be right’ it’s oh so ridge-e-didge

Before we know it things will change and it will be too late
We’ll be served up as breakfast on a ‘made in China’ plate
What happened to Australia ? We gave up and gave in
The politicians took it and they threw it in the bin!

Trephina Gorge, Northern Territory

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An original collection of poems about life in Australia.
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