Reaching for the heavens,

Our skyscrapers soar.

We work in towers of glass and steel

And live in urban sprawl:

The Australian Dream?

Or a corrupted fantasy…

The boomers worked 9 to 5,

They bought the Australian dream and more.

The others work 9 to 5,

We work and earn,

But can’t afford

Their dream.



They dream of investment properties:

Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, one study,

Renovated and negatively geared.

We dream of avocado:

Smashed, seasoned and thickly smeared

On sourdough toast

With feta.



Huddled on the edge of a continent,

We teeter on the brink of chaos.



We dream of sangria and chia,

We eat brunch in Flinders Lane

And drink pints on Brunswick Street,

We pay 1 percent card surcharges,

Not 10 percent housing deposits.



We long for real interaction,

But only talk on Messenger,

We share pictures of bagels for seven seconds

And watch the news headlines in 60,

But never read a newspaper.



We live in a land,

Attached to devices,

Of sprawling cities

And ever-increasing prices.

We dream of a great southern land,

A dream which never ends.

Share your stories with us. For guidance and inspiration, here are a few other recent entries: about Aussie place names, a play date gone wrong, racism, weekend sport, birthday cakes, another road trip, for the birds, no hat, no play, a housewarming party, tales of nippers, growing up on the creek, generational angst, paying with pineapples, magical mermaid pools, lizard friends, nude beaches, music and road trips, curious lifeguards, death and kindness, plus poetry and #metoo on the work site.

Want more Australia coverage and discussion? Join us in our Facebook group, sign up for the weekly Australia Letter and start your day with the Australian Morning Briefing.