Seed

A hot wind races through the trees,
Smoke pervades the air,
Mighty gums thrash with unease,
Animals flee from their lair.

Angry flames charge through the bush,
Devouring all in sight,
The towering gums under ambush,
Like a torch ablaze in the night.

Only a blackened skeleton can be found,
But no, not all is lost,
For seeds are scattered on the scorched ground,
Life must go on at any cost.

Under the soil the seed takes root.
Watered by the welcoming rain,
A shoot thrusts through the lingering soot,
Green life in a desolate terrain.

Through the years the plant grows strong,
Fed by the rain and the sun,
A home for the lilting currawong,
The mighty gum’s life has begun.