Comment from Dawn Munro

Excellent

Oh my God, this is a terrible situation, positively dire for hard-working folks, and you have captured the essence of it beautifully with this small poem - excellent word choices to describe nature's ruin!

 Comment Written 13-Jun-2016

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reply by the author on 20-Jun-2016

Thanks Dawn,
The initial shock of inundation is always stressful then resilience and the sheer necessity to pick up and carry on kicks in.
It just seemed to me in the early hours as if we had been robbed stealthily in the dark of night...hence the poem.
:-) Shirley

Comment from Treischel

Excellent

My heart goes out to you and your family as youvdescribed the devastation so clearly in this 5-7-5 formatted poem. Hopefully your flooded ground will be more fertile once things settle down. Just trying to find something pistil ve.

 Comment Written 08-Jun-2016

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reply by the author on 12-Jun-2016

Thank you for a compassionate review and your continued support and friendship.
A flood in winter is more devastating than in other seasons.
Winter grasses need to be sown and if sown too late there is not enough warmth for seed emergence
and prolonged and sustainable growth through to late spring.
We'll likely need to replant most of the acreage and supplement feed through the winter.
Luckily farmers( in Australia at least) and their families are a stubborn, resilient bunch who don't give up easy.
:-) Shirley

Comment from l.raven

Excellent

OMG Sweet girl, lets just hope and pray the ground will drink it up as fast as it can...way to much rain...a beautiful picture...and a great poem....love ya girl...Linda xxoo

 Comment Written 05-Jun-2016

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reply by the author on 06-Jun-2016

Thanks Linda,
I appreciate your empathy and generous review.
These events are so stressful so I'm writing the stress away.
For a little while at least.
:-) Shirley

reply by l.raven on 06-Jun-2016

yes they are...we can only pray...love ya Linda xxoo

Comment from foxangie123

Excellent

What a great thought process. This is genius subject matter and writing here. This really is talent day for writing and reads. Remarkable friend. Wow.

 Comment Written 05-Jun-2016

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reply by the author on 06-Jun-2016

Thank you,
Your support and comments are much appreciated.
There are lots of creative writers and poets on this site.
:-) Shirley

Comment from Jacqueline M Franklin

Excellent

Hi, Shirley

= OMGoodness! How heartbreaking.
= What crops do you have planted.
= Outside of rice patties, I can think of NOTHING good about this.
= So very sorry. How may acres are under water??

(*<*) A Smile Is A Frown Turned Upside-Down (*>*)
Cheers & Blessings ... Jacqueline ~ Jackie ~ Jax

 Comment Written 05-Jun-2016

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reply by the author on 06-Jun-2016

Hi Jax,
Just de-stressing and writing really helps.
Thanks for reading.
We don't crop for our business is primarily dairy (65 hectares all under water) on a fertile alluvial floodplain.
Plus we have a beef herd on the land we lease on the same flood plain--all native grasses now drowned as well.
Lots of supplementary feeding and re-planting to get through to spring. Of course money is lost and it could happen all over again--La Nina now in Australia.
We do have to plant winter pastures which we have been doing for the last few weeks.
Fresh, succulent grasses- well fed cows--lots of fresh milk--bills get paid --we eat. it's the reverse cycle that is scary.
Believe it or not it has been so dry hubby was really concerned about the soil moisture level being too dry for the seed to strike---and then down came the rain in torrents --over 500mm in the valley catchments in a twenty four hour period.
Where does it go---onto the floodplain of course.
This has been my life for 35 years now---the good is good but the bad is very bad.
:"-) Shirley

reply by Jacqueline M Franklin on 06-Jun-2016

I can understand where you're coming from, having lived on a farm. A never-ending cycle of worry, whether it be crops and/or livestock.

You're right, writing is a great way to destress.
Take care, my friend. (*.*)