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Old Jim's Christmas






Listen to the Poet Read
 The year had been long, and the year had been dry,
With no decent rain since late in July.
And now, close to Christmas, the harvest was down,
And the grass in the paddocks was withered and brown.
Jim looked at his stock; they weren't sleek any more,
The condition of most a bit forward of store.
Old Jim wiped his brow with the back of his hand,
Then, adjusting his hat, the horizon he scanned.
On the distant blue hills, through the shimmering haze,
Was a large plume of smoke where the bush was ablaze.
"No threat to us here," he muttered aloud,
As he gazed at the far-away, billowing cloud.
"Unless a strong northerly blows up,of course,"
He said as he patted his faithful old horse.
"But then, me old girl, it'd take half a week
To get to our boundary down there by the creek."

He flicked with the reins and returned to the house,
And there he was greeted by Gladys, his spouse:
"Judy and Alan have arrived with the boys;
But the baby's asleep, so don't make any noise.
You promised to get them a tree when they came,
To put up at Christmas; I guess one the same
As we've had every year; can you get me one in?"
"I know what you want," Jim replied with a grin,
"A branch of a cherry, the native one here,
I'll see that you'll have one this arvo', my dear.
But first for some lunch - have a bite to eat,
And take a break from this dreadful heat!"

It was later that night and the boys were in bed,
When Alan, Jim's son, to his father said,
"There's a smell of smoke in the air tonight,
And the moon is tinged with a reddish light.
That fire on the hills that I saw today,
There's every chance of it getting away;
For the wind is up, and it's northerly, too;
Is there anything more I can help you to do?"
"No! The trailer's right, and the firebreaks done,
I've completed the fire preparation, son.
I'm feeling weary, I've been busy today,
I think it is time that we all hit the hay."

By the following day Jim was ill at ease,
For the fire had spread on the northerly breeze,
And was racing across the desolate plains,
And never a chance of a sudden rain.
On the day before it was Christmas Eve
Old Jim and his son decided to leave
And join in the fight to control the blaze
That had burnt unchecked for so many days.
As they started the ute and prepared to go,
Old Jim heard the voice of his grandson, Joe,
Who said to his Pa, with a hint of alarm,
"Will the fire keep Santa from reaching the farm?"
"I think he'll be here, and he won't forget
There are kids on the farm - he hasn't missed yet!
We hope to be back before Christmas Day;
And meanwhile, lad, we can hope and pray
For the wind to change and the rain to fall,
Or it could be a difficult time for all."

Old Jim and his son went away to fight,
And they didn't come home at all that night.
And on Christmas Eve they were still away;
And so, at the end of a worrying day,
Young Joe went inside, and on bended knees,
Prayed for some rain, and a southerly breeze.
But the weatherman gave a prediction bleak,
And, later that night, fire jumped the creek,
And, to Jim's dismay, it went racing again
Through the withered grass on the windswept plain.
And the captain announced to his weary troop,
"It's back to the house, where we'll all regroup.
It'll give us an hour, or a little more,
Before it approaches the homestead door."

As the men drove back through Old Jim's farm
The northerly died, and an eerie calm
Proclaimed the arrival of a smoke-filled day:
And to everyone's amazement, the skies were grey!
As the south wind blew, and the raindrops fell.
The exhausted men gave a thankful yell,
And a soot-stained Jim, with his reddened eyes,
Was greeted by the noise of his grandson's cries.
"I prayed for the rain, and the south wind, too,
And Santa Claus came, and so did you!"
He leapt in the arms of his Grandpa Jim,
And his Pa shed a tear as he cuddled him.
He turned to the men, and his family there,
This weather-beaten bloke with the snowy hair;
"Strange things have happened in my life before,
But nothing like this has surprised me more.

I'm all overcome, don't know what to say,
'Bout the miracle that's happened this Christmas Day.
But I thank you all, and the captain, too,
And the very best of Christmases to each of you!"
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