My Australia

• Katie Affleck, Grade 8, Marsden State High School
• Poetry
• 2000

3rd in the 'Watch Out! 2000' competition

I’m travelling Australia, my homeland I must see,
Before my spirit moves far, far away from me.
I’m peering across the countryside, Uluru beneath my feet,
Such a cultural land, outback in the searing heat.
I’m driving through the desert as the wind screams through my head,
It’s as lifeless as a shipwreck, as lifeless as the dead.
I’m skiing down the slopes, each stride takes its toll,
Gliding through the snow feels good from heart to soul.
I’m running along the shoreline, young free,
The Great Barrier Reef is spectacular, stretching as far as I can see.
I’m sitting with the spectators, Cathy Freeman ready to run,
In the home of the Olympic Games, under the Australian sun.