The Eve Of New Year's Day Poem by Francis Duggan

The lorikeets are chirping in the bright sun shine
And the yellow tail black cockatoos shred pine cones on the tall monterey pine
To get at the small dark pine cone seeds to them a delicious treat
What is noursishing and good to them most humans dare not eat.

At noon on the eve of New Year the New Year twelve hours away
When bells will ring and people dance for to welcome New Year's day
The day is warm even for the time of year some thirty five degrees
But in the Town park in the shade there is a cooling breeze.

In the bottle shop across the street the party goers their liquor buy
Tonight they will drink the New year in their parties they will enjoy
They come from the bottle shop with slabs of beer and wine and spirits by the crate
They will drink into the small hours and party on till late.

The birds sing in the sunlit park in the bright heat of noon
And young magpies practicing their song seem a bit out of tune
And the start of another year only twelve hours away
And all seems happy clear and bright on the eve of New Years Day.