We who with songs beguile your pilgrimage / And swear that Beauty lives though lilies die, / We Poets of the proud old lineage / Who sing to find your hearts, we know not why ... (James Elroy Flecker)

23.11.22

The Voice of Autumn

Autumns in Australia, at their best, are somnolent, sun-drenched, beneficent, replete – my favourite season. The voice of that kind of autumn is heard in the steady hum of happy bees, the drone of a tractor in a paddock across the valley, the gentle snores of a sleepy afternoon.


At their worst they are WET! This year, autumn here began with serious flooding – the third time in rapid succession over recent years. 


To be more precise: the March 2017 flood was the worst ever in this town, until then. The one in February this year was even worse, then the one in March this year worse still. The voice of Autumn 2022 was drumming rain for days, weeks. For those in the path of the flood-water it was huge, relentless noise – the noise of something terrible coming; something inevitable, inescapable. Like an earthquake, or a large aircraft about to crash into your walls. Of course it arrived after dark. It was debris banging heavily against the walls all night – no pattern to the sudden hits; each time a new and different shock, crash, jolt, assault.


For the rest of us it was the silence of the dawning day when the rain had at last subsided, but the water all around meant we stayed in our homes for many days thereafter. Luckily we had enough warning to stock up on food and groceries ahead of time – because even if we could have got out, the delivery trucks to the shops couldn’t get in.


Those voices of autumn have faded now, receded. But they linger in memory still. We listen with half an ear always cocked, for the next time autumn wants to rage and yell. We no longer trust in the benevolence of this pretty part of the world.


slow to clear –

piled debris of a life 

I thought I knew 






If you watch the whole video, it shows things getting progressively worse.


Written in response to Haibun Monday: aki no koe (Autumn's voice) at dVerse.  



8 comments:

  1. A great post! The floods in your area were really devistating. It is good you planned ahead!

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  2. These sounds are so disturbing, and with seasons changing like this it should be easy to understand that there is a cause behind... places like Australia and Pakistan are flooded while others have desperate draughts. Love that you just described it without calling out the cause.

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    1. By now, we are all much too well aware of the cause.

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    2. Your flooding Autumn sounds very much like the Rainy Season here🇹🇹Even now in November we are still having day rain and night rain and floods in some areas. And of course yes the traffic and the clearing of debris.

      Thanks for dropping by my blog Rosemary

      Much💛love

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    3. Gosh, Gillena, I didn't realise that was the case for you.

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  3. Rosemary- such a sobering haibun. Thank you for sharing it with us!

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    Replies
    1. I didn't realise that was what I was going to write on until it all came – appropriately enough – flooding out!

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