The Kimberley
Host: Kalyeeda Station
Written by Josh Harling – Former Employee, Kalyeeda Station.
Josh was a Ringer at Kalyeeda station for three years from 2000. He met his wife Emma here.They now live on a property near Cairns with their three children. He wrote this poem about his time with us.
The Land is Vast and restless
The Winds blow warm and dry
The night air brings forgiveness
From the heat of day gone by
The work is long and tiring
But the rewards beat all the best
And the sound of stockwhips firing
Strike the chorus of the west
The souls that work these hardened plains
Have hearts of gold and silver
And with honour running through their veins
They’ll work these plains forever.
The smell of sweat and leather
And the feel of hand on mane
How that mickey thinks he’s clever
As he breaks from the mob again.
But a watchful eye and spirit keen
And a movement toward his blade
His error now the mickey’s seen
Of the choice in which he made.
Your horse snorts and shakes his head
As the sweat drips from his side
Then bows his neck against his leg
And takes an easy stride.
The romance of the muster
The nervousness and pride
The tall grass how it whispers
As you make an epic ride.
Then there’s the panic and confusion
That can come from the mob and dust
And through the yard gates as they’re moving
You prey the lead don’t bust.
You can’t describe the feelings
You can sorta describe the land
So instead you describe the happenings
The devotions and demands
It’s a legacy to the few who care
And treat their job with pride
And there is nothing that can compare
To the feeling it provides
It is a land of glory
But it puts you to it’s tests
And it is my favourite story
Of how a young man’s dreams were met
The land there has a language
Which calls out to your heart
And once you’ve learnt to hear it
You fear the day you’ll part
So inviting and enticing
It call you back again.
It’ll call you back again.