NaPM April 16 2016

[Leanne]

The name seemed so exciting: Come By Chance
a promise of adventure and romance
come west and watch the million stars that dance:
it's heaven.

We sold our city house. Here land is cheap;
we thought we'd plant a garden, run some sheep
and take it easy, maybe even sleep
til seven.

The day we signed the contract, there was rain,
the creek was full and all across the plain
spread greening;
we both surveyed our magic land and sighed,
sipped tea and then I set about inside
to cleaning.

A hundred sheep we bought, and all were dead
by winter; and inside our produce shed
was sorrow.
No drop of rain was seen again that year
and we expect the bankers to appear
tomorrow.

They wait for folk like us, who think we know
how farming is from television show
or novel;
in cities, dodging weather is a game,
but here it kills. Now we admit our shame
and grovel.

The bankers have a buyer, we're in luck --
a coal seam gas man -- fracking, what the fuck?
Those thieving --
Now darling, don't get too wound up, it's true
they're scum, but what's it got to do with you?
We're leaving.