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The sky, the sunlight,
the water, the green earth —
I live and move and breathe
in the midst of this natural wonder
called the Mt Warning Caldera:
vast, ancient, fertile bowl
ringed by mountains and ocean,
surrounding that great central peak
where the light of dawn first touches
my island continent: Australia.
I grew on a tinier island, southernmost
point of this land, almost a secret,
where lakes and prehistoric forests,
mountains and pristine coast,
still require trek or pilgrimage
from the most determined traveller
to arrive in unpeopled wilderness, struck
by such magnificence it dwarfs you;
you want to bow down (perhaps you do)
thanking God, or Fate, or the Universe.
Later I crossed the Strait, found at length
a treed suburb in a city by the sea,
good place for raising children,
messing about in boats and libraries —
a base from which to travel
up the leafy, happy east coast,
north to the steamy tropics, west
to a wilder ocean, or into the central desert
(full of flowers and birds that year, after rain)
with its one giant monolith.
(full of flowers and birds that year, after rain)
with its one giant monolith.
This is a wondrous country! The first people
on earth lived here (don’t believe
those tales that we began in Africa; here
those tales that we began in Africa; here
the Original People know better: I’ve studied
their lore of the stars) and they still live
here today — along with many others,
arriving for conquest maybe; staying for love
of green earth or wide brown land (it's A Big
Country) of sparkling water, abundant sunshine,
and a quality of light seen only in this sky.
Written in response to April 2020, Day 24: Natural Wonders, at 'imaginary garden with real toads'. I intended to write only about the area where I now live, but couldn't stop until I'd included the whole country! I thought of calling it 'Sacred Land' – but aren't they all? The Earth is sacred; I wish that was more widely understood.
Notes:
A Big Country was a much-loved, long-running (1968-1991) TV documentary exploring Australian rural life.
Artists (and others) have remarked on the wonderful quality of the light in Australia, even in winter, found nowhere else.
Stella Whieldon on Origine' Cultural Star Lore.
Image: Fair Use.
Written in response to April 2020, Day 24: Natural Wonders, at 'imaginary garden with real toads'. I intended to write only about the area where I now live, but couldn't stop until I'd included the whole country! I thought of calling it 'Sacred Land' – but aren't they all? The Earth is sacred; I wish that was more widely understood.
Notes:
A Big Country was a much-loved, long-running (1968-1991) TV documentary exploring Australian rural life.
Artists (and others) have remarked on the wonderful quality of the light in Australia, even in winter, found nowhere else.
Stella Whieldon on Origine' Cultural Star Lore.
Image: Fair Use.
This literally looks like heaven on earth, Rosemary!💘 I especially love and resonate with the second stanza, having lived for a few years in the desert, the tropics and near the ocean! 😃
ReplyDeleteThis is such a wonderful pic of the Caldera that I've used – but I actually live on the far side of that central peak, and not very far from it. The whole area does have many heaven-on-earth qualities.
DeleteMuch of Australia is still unexplored, Rosemary, and I think it should stay that way, sacred and protected, ‘almost a secret’. I love the idea of a ‘vast, ancient, fertile bowl / ringed by mountains and ocean’, with prehistoric forests and ‘unpeopled wilderness’, yet where one is still able to mess about in boats and libraries!
ReplyDeleteWell, the first three verses refer to different parts of the country.
DeleteThere is really not much of Australia that is unexplored any more – but there are still some places where few people go, and I agree that it will be good if that remains the case.
What a spectacularly beautiful photo! I am intrigued by the circular swoops that seem to encircle the peak. I love this poem of your country, and resonate with the deep feeling of someone in exactly the place she is meant to be. Very beautiful, Rosemary. There is much to wonder and feel awe about in your country. Most of all, those aborigines who first lived there and whose wisdom could lead us out of the mess we're in.
ReplyDeleteEven now, sadly, we don't listen to them enough.
DeleteSoundd really good, Rosemary. We were to Tasmania, it was pretty nice and the people were great!!
ReplyDeleteI need people to play golf with. I know there are old cars and chess games too.
..
Perhaps you recognised my second verse, then. I grew up in Tasmania.
DeleteHow beautiful...May the ancestors sing to us of nature's beauty and the preservation of that gift...may we listen and act
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, I echo that prayer!
DeleteYes the Northern Rivers is truly spectacular..sadly being loved to death I used to live near the Channon ... almost 20 years) and once the tourist bus started to drive by daily I knew it was time to leave. Enjoyed this !
ReplyDelete