five minutes past midnight
first day of new year over
went out to view night sky
constellations to discover

Southern Cross our emblem
sitting above horizon
orange planet Mercury
almost above is rising

Orions' belt predominant
and seven sisters Pleiades
Aldebaran brightly glows
proud Taurus bull parades

sudden silver shooting star
streaks and fades to nought
meteoric flame comes to fame
just as quickly is put out

living on Melbourne's fringe
among canopy of tall trees
midnight jewels merely glimpse
in mallee horizons are free

here, boundless Milky War appears
huge galaxies and giant nebula
even in bright town of Mildura
star-gazing is spectacular