Our hands
tell our stories
I thought
as I watched him steer
the old paddle wheeler
down the Thomson River
in a stretch of water
the locals said
had never run dry
even though
beyond the coolibahs
dry and dusty
treeless flats
stretched
to the horizon
sneezing dust
into the hazy twilight
as lumbering trucks
raced the night
and kangaroos
frozen
by the blinding lights
fell
to a foisted fate
by the roadside -
fodder not only
for the carrion hunters
I thought
but for the tellers
of tales
back at home
and on the road
around billabong campfires
as billies boiled
and yarns gave way
to legends -
the stars
I thought
that night
trying to find them
behind the dusky
pink haze
have been
telling us stories too
since the beginning
of time
about this planet -
now I thought
still trying
to find one
is the time
to listen.
“ . . . into the hazy twilight as lumbering trucks race the night and kangaroos frozen by the blinding lights fell to a foisted fate by the roadside”
ReplyDeleteThis passage from your poem reminds me of the unfairness to the animal world owning to humanity's accomplishments. I've bonded with the majestic Kangaroos of Australia through my mother, who loved the kangaroos, kookaburras, and Koalas of her homeland and I grew up loving them too. I FEEL SO SAD when I hear about them being killed by forest fires and by truckers and other drivers on the highways, much like our American deer.
After retiring and moving out of the city to a semi-rural area, I've bonded with the animals and critters around my home. I've watched the momma deer look after their babies, and I've seen them devastated when one of their own is hurt or killed. I've watched the tom turkeys do their funny mating dance as their hens act as though they could care less. After being evicted from our attic, I've laughed at the squirrels furiously chittering at me to show their resentment and watched the cute little skunks spray my pesky little Jack in the face, then quickly waddle away into the night. I watch the hawks play on the air streams; they seem to have great fun. When I find a snake, which is rare, I call Jake the Snake Guy to remove it to a remote area rather than kill it, which I would do in the past (I have evolved considerably in this area!!).
I've never liked the idea of sports hunting, but now I can hardly tolerate hunters. Some might say this is odd for a gun advocate, but guns are for protection from home invaders, in my mind, not for the unnecessary killing of humans and animals.
Anna, I love how you relate to nature and animals; it inspires me to put my thoughts in writing and forget for a while that my country is falling apart.
Ann, I am so sorry I have taken so long to see your beautiful comments. I am trying to update my blog after spending time with Instagram. You write with such passion and beauty. I loved reading about your life and your care of our precious animals. My children and their partners have been a guiding light in opening my eyes to animals as sentient beings. I have yet to shed my childhood snake phobia however. That may take a little while longer yet. Again many many thanks. xo Anna
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