Great Britain

Great Britain

Pussy-cat, pussy-cat,
Where have you been?
I've been to London
To look at the Queen.
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat,
What did you there?
I frightened a little mouse
Under her chair.

***

I am the river - my waves make me shiver. 
I am the Thames - my waves crash against walls. 
I am the Thames, floating with the ships. 
Filthy old river that boats run across.

I am the Eye so white and clean - 
You are the Thames, filthy and mean.

I see clouds, boats, buildings and trains. 
I get very cold when it rains. 
I am the London Eye, 
I see the river, the hills and the sky. 
I can see for miles and miles.

***

The Union flag is flying
billowing on the breeze
above the beautiful roses
and England's old oak trees.

The reign of a royal lifetime
Elizabeth has seen it through.
Our Queen stands in glory
beneath the Red White and Blue. 

***

Ye flags of Piccadilly, 
Where I posted up and down, 
And wished myself so often 
Well away from you and town--

Are the people walking quietly 
And steady on their feet, 
Cabs and omnibuses plying 
Just as usual in the street?

Do the houses look as upright 
As of old they used to be, 
And does nothing seem affected 
By the pitching of the sea?

Through the Green Park iron railings 
Do the quick pedestrians pass? 
Are the little children playing 
Round the plane-tree in the grass?

This squally wild northwester 
With which our vessel fights, 
Does it merely serve with you to 
Carry up some paper kites?

Ye flags of Piccadilly, 
Which I hated so, I vow 
I could wish with all my heart 
You were underneath me now! 

***

Gently the river flows
Beside the dark forest.
In season when the salmon swim
Upstream to spawn.
The forest, a guardian
Stately, majestic
Is caressed by the moonlight
And kissed by the dawn.

Silent a church stands
By the dark forest.
Silent the ruins of
A great Hall..
But dawn stirs a chorus
Near the dark forest
Blackbird and thrush
With a cuckoo's loud call.

Beauty and peace dwell
Within the dark forest
When old country lanes
Are with primroses lined..
Where the daffodils blaze in
Green water meadows
The charm of Old England
Is in colour defined. 

Canada

My name is British Columbia
The jewel of the West Coast.
Forestry and fishing are
The things that I do most.

Hi, I am Alberta
A wild west kind of place
With cows and oil and mountains
And lots of open space.

I am Manitoba
And I’m Saskatchewan
We’re the golden prairies
Where fields of wheat grow in the sun.

Hi, I am Ontario
The home of government
To me each year the leaders
Of our democracy are sent.

Bonjour, I am Quebec
Here French is my language too
When I want to ask “how are you?” 
I say, “comment allez vous?”

Newfoundland, New Brunswick
And Nova Scotia -- those are we, 
We are Atlantic Provinces
The three musketeers of the sea

I’m Prince Edward Island
And I know I may be small
But without me all the rest of you 
Would have no potatoes at all.

The Yukon, Nunavut and North West 
Territories are up north.
Through ice and cold and polar bears
Few brave souls venture forth.

Together we are Canada 
One nation strong and free
With sharing, friends and happiness
Forever we will be!

Australia

I love this Land Australia of gum and wattle tree
This vast and sunlit Continent is home from home for me
And though I come from a distant Land when I have had my day
Than underneath Australian soil where better place to lay.

I love this Land Australia home of the kangaroo
Of echidna and wombat, platypus and cockatoo
Of lorikeet and rosella, koala, possum and emu
And other unusual birds and animals as I've mentioned just a few.

I like Australian people if poor man make good they say
The man he is a battler, good on him anyway, 
In Land of wedge tailed eagle there's rooom to spread one's wings
And in the lucky country the battler is a king.

I love this Land Australia it's home from home for me, 
Home of the kookaburra and gum and wattle tree
And bell bird and bell magpie who through the Winter sing
A Winter oft times milder than Ireland in the Spring.

I love this Land Australia of sunshine and bird song
And with each passing day my love for this great Country grow more strong
And though I come from a distant Land when I have had my day
Than underneath Australian soil where better place to lay. 

***

The love of field and coppice
Of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance,
Brown streams and soft, dim skies
I know, but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests,
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops,
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us
We see the cattle die
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine
She pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze...

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand
though Earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

New Zealand

Pukeko is a New Zealand rail 
That? s mostly black and flicks its tail 
Survives quite well inspite of man 
Though other creatures no longer can

She seems to walk with utter ease 
Across the swamp and through the trees 
She makes her nest on weeds and bog 
And sometimes underneath a log

Her lengthy toes are reason why 
She doen? t sink and keeps so dry 
If weeds give way she doesn? t care 
She flaps her wings and takes to air

She? s tough and shy and rarely harmed 
But shrieks and shrieks when she? s alarmed 
She? ll pluck your plants from garden plot 
And runs the risk of being shot

If you would like one as a pet 
You? ll not avoid the cold and wet 
If wading swamps to see her eggs 
You? ll need to have much longer legs

***

Pohutukawa

I think perhaps I'll never see 
A more magnificent a tree 
Than our pohutukawa on display 
With gorgeous blooms each Christmas Day.

Those dangling roots in search will cling 
To cliff or rocks or anything 
And nature put this gem so long ago 
Where other trees just couldn? t grow.

Thus in pohutukawa? s ancient past 
A gene had formed to make it last 
And claim today triumphantly 
That it? s New Zealand? s Christmas-tree.

USA

The Heart of America by Patricia Bankhead

America, land of the free
Home of the brave
Set off the fireworks
Let your banners wave

From sea to shining sea
All across the land
Let people of all races
Come to together hand in hand

United we stand, 
Divided we fall
Let's put aside our difference 
Once and for all

Thanking God for our freedom
Let's make a joyful sound
In the heart of America
Let love always be found

***

Our American Flag

Our flag is one with colors every so bright
A symbol of goodwill and all that's right
It is a beacon for those who are oppressed
Who pine to live in the land of the blessed

It represents a dream to those from afar
That things can be much better than they are
They look upon our flag as an emblem of hope
When from their oppression they wish to elope

Our flag stands for freedom and basic human rights
It serve as a rally when against tyranny we must fight
It was conceived in battle when our country was young
And many have defended it since our liberty was won

It represents a place where dreams can come true
Where men and women can live the life they chose
Without fear from some maniacal regime
Standing ready to crush their dreams

Our flag stands for liberty and justice for all
It stands for a country ruled by law
And when in a parade I see it passing by
I cannot hide my patriotic pride

***

Our Beautiful Flag

Our flag stands for freedom,
And we are so very proud,
When it waves in the breeze,
It usually draws a crowd.

Its colors are so beautiful,
The red, white and blue,
And when you see them up close,
They are so very true.

So today we celebrate our flag,
And this I want to say,
Wave your flag with honor,
On this very special day.

***

Our Flag

It flies high up in the skies
for all the world to see
a beautiful symbol of this land
of freedom and liberty

it’s flown for over 200 years
above this wonderous land
and many a soldier gave his life
to ensure it continues to stand

when former pows were asked
what helped to get them through
many showed tattered pieces of cloth
of the colors red, white and blue

so let us not forget the men
who forged this land we love
and the symbol they created
to fly the skies above

remember to honor this beautiul flag
every time it passes you by 
stand and show the proper respect
and long may it continue to fly

***

This Land Is Your Land
Words and Music by Woody Guthrie

This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island; 
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters 
This land was made for you and Me.

As I was walking that ribbon of highway, 
I saw above me that endless skyway: 
I saw below me that golden valley: 
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps 
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts; 
And all around me a voice was sounding: 
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling, 
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling, 
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting: 
This land was made for you and me.

As I went walking I saw a sign there 
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing." 
But on the other side it didn't say nothing, 
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people, 
By the relief office I seen my people; 
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking 
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me, 
As I go walking that freedom highway; 
Nobody living can ever make me turn back 
This land was made for you and me.