Threatening Rainbow

COLOR CARNIVAL

http://colorcarnivalmeme.blogspot.com/

THREATENING RAINBOW!

Most rainbows are benign;

Pretty patterns in the sky,

But here's a medley of colours

That threatens. And here's why.

They're Australia's Fire Warnings,

We see them all around

And right through every summer

On the roadsides they are found.

The category 'Catastrophic'

Is causing much debate.

Basically, it's saying this.....

'Leave! Before it's too late!'
This means the weather's baking hot
And the wind is blowing a gale;
The ground is like a tinder-box
And all precautions fail!
But when 'Catastrophic's' advertised
And the threat just goes away,
People become scornful
And look the other way.
'It didn't happen last time!
We're ignoring it!' they cry.
'All that inconvenience!
And fire just passed us by!'
But if there is no warning,
And a bush fire rears its head,
Then there's an awful outcry
If somebody lies dead!
So you see it's a dilemma!
Sort of Catch 22!
The Fire Authority's always blamed
Whatever it may do!
I've been decades in this country
But I've only faced one fire,
And that was really piddling,
Nothing happened very dire.
But my heart goes out to country-folk
Who face the awful threat.
I'm only glad that, this year,
No-one has suffered yet.
*

Last year's fires here:
http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com/2009/02/australian-bush-fires.html