‘Though rains lash, winds thrash and sun doth dry,
Finger leaves rustle catching the breeze.
Tentacle twigs thrust, poke and probe from
Lean athletic elongated limbs,
Slowly inching upward, stretching high;
Gum tree spirit reaches t’ward the sky.

Born of an ancient land where fires rage,
Smooth ghostly trunk stands strong above while
Unseen roots writhe in silence below,
In search of precious water, so scarce.
A testament to survival these
Icons of antipodean land.