POEM: Dramas from Down Under

This poem is an *IA Writing Competition (fiction category) entry.

POEM: Dramas from Down Under

In sun-kissed lands, where dreams ignite,
And legends roam 'neath stars alight,
Australia stands, a vast tapestry,
Where fiction's fire burns, a world set free.

Amidst golden rays, at dawn's embrace,
A tale unfolds, poets' words do trace,
With ink-stained hands, their hearts give birth,
An epic woven, dreams upon Earth.

Beneath ancient gums' embracing sight,
Whispers passed from dusk till night,
The storytellers' magic thread,
Binds wild spirits, aspirations widespread.

From Sydney's lights, where dreams blaze bright,
To Perth's warm shores, where dreams take flight,
In every corner, tales they spin,
Of rugged hearts and souls akin.

Atop the hills, where Sydney Opera soars,
Where passions bloom and tragedies roar,
In dulcet notes and eloquence profound,
A grand confluence, theatre unbound.

'Neath the stars, on silver screen,
A thousand dreams like rivers gleam,
Through laughter's arc and sorrow's sting,
Actors' craft, emotions they bring.

Amidst these arts, a tapestry,
Unfolding truths, for all to see,
Within the lines, emotions blend,
The joys, the sorrows, they transcend.

In whispered verse or dialogue's flow,
The poet's ink, the playwright's glow,
They capture truth, they stir the soul,
To seek for more, to find their role.

From Barossa's vineyards, wine refined,
To Uluru's majesty, sacred bind,
The landscape's pulse, the heartbeat's beat,
In every stanza, the nation's feat.

In Parliament's chambers, voices rise,
The people's will, a ceaseless prize,
Through ink-stained hands and fervent quill,
They shape the dance of rights and will.

Yet amidst this tapestry, shadows loom,
Challenges arise, casting gloom,
In housing's plight, where dreams collide,
Families yearn for a place to reside.

Rentals scarce, the costs ascend,
A struggle that seems to have no end,
In the search for shelter, hearts weigh,
The burden carried day by day.

In the shadows of towering might,
Wage inequality takes its flight,
The gap widens, hearts in strain,
As some prosper while others wane.

Workers toil, their worth profound,
Yet paychecks falter, hopes unbound,
A plea for equity, a just decree,
For labor's fruits to set them free.

Let justice reign, let fairness grow,
With equal pay, let spirits glow,
Together we'll forge a world anew,
Where every worker's value rings true.

Beneath the sun's relentless gaze,
A crisis brews, in nature's ways,
Global warming's reach extends,
A plea to heal, a world amends.

Rising tides and wildfires fierce,
Nature's balance starts to pierce,
A call to act, to take a stand,
To protect the earth, our cherished land.

With every word and every line,
The poets' hearts, the authors' shine,
They sing a song of truth and might,
An enthralling ode, in Australia's light.

So here it is, this tale to tell,
Australia's Heart, a timeless spell,
Where fiction's tapestry, rich and vast,
Unfolds a nation, bold and steadfast.

Through trials faced and dreams pursued,
With unity, we'll strive and brood,
To mend the fractures, light the way,
In Australia's light, we'll find our say.

In sun-kissed lands, we'll rise above,
Embrace the challenges, share the love,
With words and actions, hand in hand,
Together we'll shape our nation grand.

Anthony Shannon is a wordsmith and poet.

* Full IA Writing Competition details HERE.