CHRISTMAS IS NEAR
(Jeanette Wormald, 1999)


When the spinifex flowers and harvest begins,
We know that Christmas is near.
When the bitumen shimmers in summer's heat haze,
We know that Christmas is near.
When the grain trucks cue at the silos,
And our town comes alive with its lights;
Like small coloured jewels, they sparkle,
In the warmth of a December night.

Chorus:
So here's to Christmas, red ochre plains and opal blue skies,
Late summer evenings and cockatoo dawns,
When spirits and temperatures rise.
So here's to Christmas, grey kangaroos, the currawong sings;
We gather together beneath southern stars
To remember the birth of our King.

When cicadas sing harmony in eucalyptus,
We know that Christmas is near.
When Sunday Schools practise nativity plays,
We know that Christmas is near.
When the kitchen is busy with baking,
Sights and smells of Christmas delights,
And friends and families gather, to celebrate into the night.