The Inferno

The soil was red, rich with history,
With many Indigenous stories still kept a mystery. 
Within their country wildlife ran free, 
Away from the city and into the gum trees. 
The Kookaburra's laugh filled the air,
Iconic to Australia and known everywhere.
The flora were boundless and their roots grew long,
Connected to Mother Earth, where they belonged.
Plants and wildlife were full of life and vibrant,  
Before the scorching sun created a blaze that became violent. 
The bushfires appeared and brought too much smoke,  
Trees that were once vivid turned to black oak.  
The kangaroos and wombats were the first to flee,
But poor koalas, still stuck in their tree.
Everything burned and the fire spread, 
Until it was too late, and everything we loved was dead.
The Eucalypts were vast and foreign to many,
But important to Australians as they were home to plenty. 
Now burned and turned to black ash, 
Important flora and fauna destroyed in a flash. 
No longer the call of the Black-cockatoo, 
Silence and misery fell over the red country soil we once knew.