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A Christmas Letter from Australia · Ririro.com - Poetry

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  Speaker 1: A Christmas letter from Australia. Tis Christmas and the North
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  Speaker 1: wind blows twas two years yesterday, since from the Lusitania's
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  Speaker 1: bows I looked o'er table Bay, a tripper round the
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  Speaker 1: narrow world, a pilgrim of the main, expecting when her
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  Speaker 1: sail's unfurled, to start for home again. Tis Christmas and
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  Speaker 1: the north wind blows to day. Our hearts are won,
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  Speaker 1: though you are mid the English snows, and I in
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  Speaker 1: Austril's sun imprisonment you when you hear the northern blast
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  Speaker 1: pile high a mightier fire our lady's cower until it's
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  Speaker 1: passed in lawn and lace attire. I fancy I can
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  Speaker 1: picture you upon this Christmas night, bankruptcy as you used
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  Speaker 1: to do, the laughter at its height, and then a
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  Speaker 1: sudden silent pause intruding on your glee, and kind eyes
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  Speaker 1: glistening because you chanced to think of me this morning.
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  Speaker 1: When I woke and knew twas Christmas come again, I
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  Speaker 1: almost fancied I could view white rhyme upon the pane,
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  Speaker 1: and hear the ringing of the wheels upon the frosty
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  Speaker 1: ground minions, and see the drip that downward steals in
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  Speaker 1: icy casket bound. I dare say you'll be on the lake,
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  Speaker 1: or sliding on the snow, prohibited on your hands to
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  Speaker 1: make the circulation flow, nestling your nose among the furs
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  Speaker 1: of which your boas made. The fahrenheit here registers a
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  Speaker 1: hundred in the shade. It is not quite a Christmas here,
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  Speaker 1: With this unclouded sky, this pure transparent atmosphere, this sun
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  Speaker 1: mid heaven high to see the rose upon the bush,
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  Speaker 1: young leaves upon the trees, and hear the forests summer
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  Speaker 1: hush or the low hum of bees. But cold winds
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  Speaker 1: bring not Christmas tide nor budding roses. June, and when
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  Speaker 1: it's night upon your side, we're basking in the noon.
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  Speaker 1: Kind hearts make Christmas. June can bring blue sky or
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  Speaker 1: clouds above. The only universal spring is that which comes
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  Speaker 1: of love. And so it's Christmas in the South. As
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  Speaker 1: on the North sea coasts, we are staved with summer drouth,
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  Speaker 1: and you with winter frosts. And we shall have our
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  Speaker 1: roast beef here and think of you the while cuts
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  Speaker 1: off the mother isle. Feel sure that we shall think
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  Speaker 1: of you. We who have wandered forth by even a
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  Speaker 1: million thoughts, will go today from south to north, Philippines
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  Speaker 1: will muse on churches old, where bells will ring today,
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  Speaker 1: the very bells, perchance, which told their fathers to the clay.
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  Speaker 1: And now good night, and I shall dream that I
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  Speaker 1: am with you all, watching the ruddy ember's gleam athwart
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  Speaker 1: the paneled hall. Nor care I if I dream or not.
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  Speaker 1: Though severed by the foam, my heart is always in
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  Speaker 1: the spot which was my childhood's home.