ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Six Crow Ridge
Maureen Clifford © The Scribbly Bark Poet


There are six crows flying up above, high over the ridge.
Death is around. You smell its sickly taint.
Smoke drifts across the paddock where the bushfire has been through
those paddocks now...no painter wants to paint.

High on the ridge the gum tree stands, a skeleton in black.
It’s stark and naked ‘neath a molten sky.
The smell of smoke is acrid, rank..it lingers everywhere.
Six crows in unison caw as they fly.
A silver river, ribbon like, wends its way ‘cross the land,
between granite rock banks and river scree.
Above the sky is sullen with no wind of change in sight.
No remedy to ease nature’s fury.

Dead woollies lie untidily together at the fence,
ran through the wire instead of running by.
Panicked and trying to escape and lacking common sense
they didn’t find the open gate nearby.
Black harbingers of death are here, a chance like this not missed
by them, they strut ‘mongst carcasses today.
Loud shots ring out, as more injured animals are put down.
The farmer’s working paddocks far away.

The smouldering paddock fence posts clearly mark where fire went.
Dollars and hours for fences to replace.
Reality of more stock losses, after years of drought
is clearly written on the bosses face.
But distant thunder rumbles, lightning's seen behind a hill,
the scent of rain is carried on the breeze.
Life will go on tomorrow as undoubtedly will he
The land is all he knows and all he needs.

There are six crows flying up above, high over the ridge.
Opportunistic scavengers of blight
Dark eyes survey the bloated, blackened carcasses below.
Six crows, the undertakers of the night.

Maureen, the very eminent Australian artist Fred Williams did a number of paintings of fire ravaged padocks. Mainly because the bush fire was a very traumatic experience for him where he lived in rural Victoria.


Sorry, I have to say it. I don't think the last stanza is needed.
You've got to have faith Maureen. .. we get it, no need to explain.

Other than that, goodonya Maureen.

[quote="Maureen K Clifford"]Six Crow Ridge
Maureen Clifford © The Scribbly Bark Poet


Dead woollies lie untidily together at the fence,
ran through the wire instead of running by.
Panicked and trying to escape and lacking common sense
they didn’t find the open gate nearby.

I told you that sheep are stupid Maureen!....

A very descriptive poem Maureen

Ross - like humans they have the flock mentality but if they have a stupid leader then they make poor choices - taken individually they are pretty smart If they have a smart flock leader (my wether Hitler was one) then they tend to make informed choices

Neville I'm a Libran - I had to balance it up on the page

You're a poet Maureen, you want to engage the reader

Hi Maureen
Nice poem! Now I know what is the matter with me when I do stupid things - it's the leader!
Sorry Neville I like the last verse - it kinda wraps it up! Crows fascinate me - like to watch them and listen to their cry; it brings back fond memories of times spent on my sister & brother-in-law's property.
Like it!
Dot

Thanks Neville and Dot

Crows are also pretty smart even though you mightn't think so I don't like them but appreciate the part they play in nature but they are cruel buggers although for them it is just survival. We took to always carrying the cut off sleeves of old TShirts and old socks with the toes end cut off in our pockets - if we came across a downed sheep that we couldn't get back on their feet we would slip the sock or sleeve ( which ever fitted the tightest ) over their head to cover their eyes, until we could go and get the paddock car and get back to them. As long as the crows couldn't see their eyes they would leave them alone.