ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I've been suffering a bit of a drought poetry wise lately, but the homework topic over at BushVerse seems to have broken it, which came as a bit of a surprise actually. I don't usually double post but seeing that I haven't written anything much for ages I'm going to indulge myself. It could probably do with a bit of work, but I'm just chuffed to have broken the drought, so to speak.

I’m so lucky
Leonie Parker © 2011

I’m lucky that I don’t live where I used to live before
‘cause it would be pretty frightening when it begins to pour
and you’re living on a river bank that’s crumbling away
while the water’s getting closer to you every single day.

I really loved that property thought that’s where I’d grow old
and admit I shed a tear or two the day that it was sold
but the recent flood experience has made me realise
there is often danger lurking in the beauty ‘fore our eyes.

When you’re living near a river there are other dangers too.
There’s a chance there might be others living there along with you
and you may not be aware of them but they will be alert.
If you get a little careless you might face a world of hurt.

If you wander by the river and you’re failing to take care,
too enraptured by the beauty all around you everywhere,
there’s a chance you’ll miss the danger that is lurking out of sight
in amongst the ferns and flowers - ‘til you feel a nasty bite!

If you venture to the water you might get a sudden scare
when the river birds you startled all take loudly to the air
and the splashing of the turtles as they join in the retreat
leaves you wondering what else there might be skulking near your feet.

So I guess that I am lucky I don’t live there anymore,
that I left that wooded acre I was tempted to explore,
left behind the noisy birdlife and the creepy crawlies too,
and the visiting koala that was only passing through.

I’m lucky now, the land is flat and doesn’t tax my stride
and the garden’s under strict control, nowhere for bugs to hide
and the river at my back door rushing over mossy rocks
is replaced by vapid music from an electronic box.
……..
“sigh”

G'day Leonie,

I'm sure Illawarra Breakfasts Poets will enjoy this one. We always love your poems when you address our homework topic. I have printed the first draft of my poem but I don't like it at all. So it is in for a serious re-write.

It is hard to move from a place we have grown to love. The house itself, we usually begin to feel that it is an extension of our physical self. Then there is the garden, if you are at all like me, it takes years to get it looking how you think you want it... and then you change it all over again. It gives me great satisfaction to know I have left some lovely peaceful gardens behind. We have done our share of moving (and the share of probably a dozen others) having moved 24 times in 34 years. That was when I stopped counting. Mind you having an astute husband who can 'pick' exactly when to sell, has allowed us to be 'mortgage free' since 1975.

On the plus side also lucky cause you got the timing right.
River frontage's not an asset when the floods cause people fright.
All the prices now are falling – dollars down on each display.
Guess I’ll be here for a long time now – I should have moved in May.

Good to see you inspired again Leonie - can't do much about the noise of the neighbours though - unless you encourage the birds in and drown them out with birdsong. Those Joe Blakes are everywhere at the moment - don't stop watching.

Cheers

Maureen

Funnily enough that house was ok, but having a river that close will affect it's value anyway I would think. I suspect the water was actually closer to us here than it would have been there. The danger there though could be slippage, given it's on a pretty steep hill.

The houses below us are still empty. No work has even been started on rebuilding the interior walls that were ripped out.

Haven't seen any Joe Blakes, thank God, but there are spiders everywhere!!

Good on ya Leonie.

I know what you mean, I've got a bit of a blank in the inspiration dept. but I do n't think I'll come up with anything like that soon.

I can handle snakes, it's spiders that give me the phobies.

Zondrae, 24 times in 34 years!! I would go mental, I hate moving. Lived at the same place for something like 25 years or something, then moved six times in ten years or so, I thought that was bad enough.

Hi Neville, I used to like snakes until I had to deal with browns in the bird aviary on more than one occasion. I do the paper and glass trick with the spiders if I can catch them, but I'm not as quick as I used to be so they get away from me now. A shoe is looking like a better option.

Yes Leonie,

The family made a joke about me not doing windows.. hence we moved whenever the windows were dirty.

Nice one Leonie!
Good to see you posting again.
Trish

Thanks Trish, good to be posting again.