#WATWB August Refreshing Relief in Drought

Above:  Sir George Hubert Wilkins (from Australian Dictionary of Biography, originally, Ohio State University).

It has been said of the explorer and adventurer, George Hubert Wilkins, that, as a child in rural South Australia, he was puzzled by the then drought.  He heard that, to understand climate, one needs to explore the polar extremities of the earth. So that is what he endeavoured to do.

Sadly, many nations of our world are afflicted by natural disasters.  In my own country of Australia we are in drought. It is not new for us. But it is always a challenge. What follows are a set of some news items about how people show support in time of drought.

A convoy of helpers travel from Sydney with supplies for rural NSW.  A drought relief concert lifts the spirits some some in NSW .  Then there is….

The Burrumbuttock Hay Runners

Previous generations of my Mother’s family lived on livestock and farming lands in the Walbundrie District of NSW. Near there is the town of Burrumbuttock. There, the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners do their good thing.  Here is a sample from their website

THE BHR STORY

In 2014 Brendan ‘Bumpa’ Farrell heard about a farmer in Bourke (NSW) that was struggling in the drought. He contacted the farmer and offered to bring him a truck load of hay to help him out. From that the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners was born. Since that date in 2014 they have completed 11 successful hay runs to help drought affected farmers all over NSW & QLD.

You can also follow the Hay Runners on Facebook.

Image: from the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners website.

Our co-hosts for this month are:

Simon Falk, Andrea Michaels, Shilpa Garg, Sylvia Stein and Belinda Witzenhausen . Please go and visit their posts as well.

My poem this time is a Drought pingback from one I wrote when I was 11 years old.

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In the Line, Marking Time

 

It is touching, sad, even inspiring, to see people bouncing back after natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria. ABC News footage triggered a response in me. 

 Image: ABC News Australia

In the Line, Marking Time

 

In the line

Marking time

For family, friends and

Food,

Fuel,

To keep

Going.

The new routine,

not what had been,

before.

Who’d have thought

there would be more

Standing,

In the queue,

For hours and hours,

Nothing to do

But wait.

Wait!

Is that smile

Upon a face?

Chatter and banter

Pass the moments

That pass to hours

And days.

In the line

For another time,

Time again

On the feet,

On a hard, old street,

Weather beating in,

Still there is a grin

In the grit

Of the human spirit.

 

Simon C.J. Falk 29 September 2017

 

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For some good news, check out We Are The World

They All Have Names

 Picture: SBS News.

They All Have Names

For Myanmar, Mexico and so many more

 

They all have names:

The toll call on the news.

A mother’s son

A father’s daughter

A schoolmate who

Sat by the window

There.                 

Now

Lost, missing or

Just gone.

All of them part

Of the great narrative

Of the human story,

And precious

Before loving eyes.

We hear the cries

And the silence.

May a blanket of comfort

Warm suffering hearts.

May the fallen

Rest

In peaceful remembrance.

 

Simon C.J. Falk 10 September 2017

 

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