HAWKESBURY HEARTBREAK

To those of you who don't really know me,or the area in which I live.I live in an area of New South Wales, Australia,called The Hawkesbury--we're at the foot of The Blue Mountains on The Nepean/Hawkesbury river.My area has some of the richest fertile soil in Australia,mainly because it is an area that is regularly flooded.Upstream of our river is the mighty Warragamba Dam that provides Sydney with the bulk of its water.As I said it floods regularly--floods have been measured at the bridge in my town of Windsor for many many years.and looking back over the records today--I discovered that the longest it had ever gone without a flood was 1904-1916--or 12 years.That was until now--our last flood was in 1992.I remember it well,I was one of the last people allowed over the river to go home,before the bridge was closed for days-keeping people trapped one side or the other from their homes or work.
The Warragamba Dam was full to overflow. Crops in the area below the Dam were ruined,stock lost--lives lost too--I remember all to well a local farmer losing his wife as she tried to rescue horses from the flood.Obviously too,after the flood many were out of work as farms were flooded and ruined. It was a Hawkesbury Heartbreak.At the moment our dam is just over 30% full,we have water restrictions.Not allowed to wash cars--we can water our gardens a couple of hours just two days a week--and not with a sprinkler--we have to stand there with the hose--but it hasn't always been like this as I reminisce with Hawkesbury Heartbreak.

HAWKESBURY HEARTBREAK

ITS RAINING IN THE MOUNTAINS
AND THE DAMS FULL TO ITS BRIM.
THERE'S AUTOMATIC OVERFLOW
AND ALL BELOW CAN SWIM.
ITS TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING
FARMERS WOKEN WITH THE NEWS.
THE BRIDGE IS OVER,BANKS ARE BROKE,
WATER,OVER LAND, AND PRODUCE SPEWS.
THE RAGING TORRENT SURGES ON,
TAKING ALL BEFORE,
THERE'S PANIC IN THE HAWKESBURY
STACKING SANDBAGS AT OUR DOORS.

A FARMER ROUNDS HIS HORSES UP,
WHILE HIS WIFE IS SWEPT AWAY.
ALL THIS BEFORE THE DAWNING
OF A FLOOD FORSAKEN DAY.
AND WHEN,DOES COME THE MORNING
THE TORMENT,THE HEARTACHE,
TO FIND WHERE WAS YOUR FARM,YOUR HOUSE
THERE'S NOTHING,BUT A LAKE.
NO WAY OF CROSSING BACK AGAIN
FOR,THERE IS NO BRIDGE AROUND.
FOR DAYS ON END WE'RE SPLIT APART
AS WE SEEK THE HIGHER GROUND.

PEOPLE STRANDED FROM THEIR WORK,
AND CHILDREN,GO WITHOUT.
A CRY GOES OUT FOR GOVERNMENT HELP
SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NONE OF IT ABOUT.
AND WHEN THE WATER TRICKLES OFF,
LEAVING SILT,AND MUD SOAKED LAND.
WHATS LEFT FOR SOME POOR FOLK TO DO,
BUT TO HOLD OUT A TREMBLING HAND.
AS A MAN STANDS AT THE BANK IN TEARS,
SAYING HIS LOAN CANNOT BE PAID.
CAN'T EVEN FEED HIS WIFE AND KIDS
BY THE MESS THIS FLOOD HAS MADE.

THE FARMER WALKS,WHATS LEFT OF IT
HEAD HELD IN HIS HAND.
LIKE A MAN WHO WAS A MIGHTY KING
NOW,CRESTFALLEN FROM HIS LAND.
IN HIS HANDS LIE THE FATE OF MEN
WHO FOR YEARS TOGETHER TOILED.
HOW MANY WILL HE LAY OFF NOW
THAT HIS LANDS BEEN SPOILED.
JOBS GONE,BY THE DOZENS
HE MEANS HIS MEN NO HARM.
BUT WHATS A MAN SUPPOSED TO DO
WHEN THERE'S NO WORK ON THE FARM?

ANOTHER HAWKESBURY HEARTBREAK,
IT'S HAPPENED THROUGHT THE YEARS,
AND EACH TIME AFTER,UP THEY GET
THEN ?-- WORK AWAY THEIR FEARS.