MY COUNTRY
© irene waters 2016
The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
© irene waters 2016
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
© irene waters 2016
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.
I love a sunburnt country,
© irene waters 2016
A land of sweeping plains,
© irene waters 2016
Of ragged mountain ranges,
© irene waters 2016
Of droughts and flooding rains.
© irene waters 2016
I love her far horizons,
© irene waters 2016
I love her jewel-sea,
© irene waters 2016
Her beauty and her terror –
© irene waters 2016
The wide brown land for me!
For Dorothea Mackellar’s full poem please hit the link on My Country. In response to the Weekly Photo Challenge Challenge
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
What lovely captures. Each with its own mood and beauty. Lovely. Is that a real snake?
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Thanks. Yes it is a real snake but not a poisonous one so it kind of demonstrated beauty and terror together.
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Amazing photos of our beautiful home, Australia. An excellent tribute.
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Thank you Max. Aren’t we lucky to live in such a diverse beautiful country.
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Definitely Australia is a vast a diverse country I am proud to call home. Looking forward to more of your beautiful photos.
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Thanks
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Beautiful and apt photos. I love that poem.
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Thanks Christina. Yes it is a great poem that gets better the older you get.
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Beautiful imagery. Perfect for the theme.
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Thanks Miriam.
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Great matching of imagery to verse! I always enjoy your vivid pictures.
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Thanks Diane. Glad to hear that.
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Fabulous tribute, although the terror lurking is a bit terrifying!
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Thanks Charli. It wasn’t a poisonous snake so you could see its beauty as well.
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Absolutely beautiful. 💕
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Thanks Sarah.
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I remember learning that poem at Primary School but have absolutely no recollection of the first verse. I loved your compilation.
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Thanks. I think we all learnt it in primary school but I think they left the first verse off on many occasions, although for me the first verse makes a lot of sense as I grew up in a family that still referred to the U.K. as home.
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Your photographs reflect the intent of the poem beautifully, Irene. I always loved that poem.
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Thanks Norah. It was probably one of the first poems we learnt at school. It was certainly recited at many events.
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Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks Don. Glad you liked them.
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I remember chanting that in primary school (I think the whole country chanted it in primary school) but it’s only now that I really appreciate the soul of it.
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Yes I agree Helen. I learnt it in primary school and it was recited at almost every occasion but it is only as I’ve got older that it really tugs at the heart strings.
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