” One cannot but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries
of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality.
It is enough if one tries to merely comprehend a little of this
mystery each day.
Never lose a holy curiosity.
– Albert Einstein
afternoon rain
dewdrops dazzle like
dangling fairy lights
rainbows
dew drops corralled
by sun beams
Tanka
morning Mozart plays
from a sleepy place I wake
with new energy
to face any curve ball
that is thrown my way
killing fields
the only sound aside from first wind rising
was the occasional brush of my footsteps
against soft cushion of earth
i looked out across the lake
the early dawn light
lay like a silver mirror
broken now and then
as several black cormorants
broke the surface and redived
in the far distance
the black swans grazed in sea grasses
and lone pelicans glided by
I watched the silver light of jumping fish
catch insects
then the pelican saw its opportunity
struck with violent grasp
grabbed the fish
its pouch beak
stretched and wriggling
while it shook its neck
and gulped the fish
I turned my attention to the paperbarks
and the symmetry
of the native miner’s wings
as it flies into a paperbark
and stand in shock
as it flew out
with the agonised death screech
of a cicada in its beak
is this place
that appears so tranquil
actually a killing field?
Merriment of Frogs after the Rain
As the sun comes up
i walked towards the stand of swamp paperbarks
a sound like a freight train racing
through a country town
filled the air
closer it became more individual
like hearing each individual carriage clanking past
and then individual rumbling croaks
yes the swamp was alive with frogs
all carousing and courting and
chatting
here was a living field
vibrant and alive
A Tree Kinship
over the curve of my thoughts
comes a sound
amidst a stand of Paperbarks
they were not only breathing together
they were conversing
my heart wells up to bursting
every tree has such character
twisted and curved
not a straight line anywhere
all seem to be aware of each other
a tree kinship
each with unique characters
that breathe life and meaning
and sanctity
the textured bark glistens with the
wash of the recent rain
in all the tones
of cream – coffee caramel tawny and wheat
desert ochre copper topaz and brown
A plaque on a seat at a lookout
How very lucky are we
to breathe salty air
and sit here by the sea