ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

This poem is the story of my beautiful friend, Kerrie. Kerrie lost her home on Black Saturday. After the fire the government arranged for Grocon to clean up all the properties. At the time Kerrie was desperate to get back to her property and eventually went back there to live in a shed - just to get "home". Not much was left on her property - but there was a fence post near where the house was, that was still standing. After Grocon had cleared the property, Kerrie said to me one day, "Before I had nothing, and now I really have nothing." It was an incredibly poignant moment for me. That fence post was the last remaining remnant of her former life. Everyone had something that was a reminder of their former life so the post is symbolic of the loss of everyone who lost a home. So, here is Kerrie's poem (with a little poetic license.

....

Thou I, now who have nothing.
But the memories of what once was there.

thank you Heather

bill williams

Excellent Heather

That is beautiful Heather - I do hope your friend has been able to rebuild and perhaps use that old fence post in her new fence. like most things it deserves a 2nd chance.

Thanks Ross, Bill and Neville. This poem took me several years to write. At first I thought the language was too simple but I came to eventually think that that is how it needed to be for this story. Your thoughts welcome.

Maureen the re-building goes on. Kerrie now has a beautiful new home but she is doubting they did the right thing in rebuilding. Her husband - only just 54, has had several major health issues since the fire - diabetes, several strokes and just a few weeks ago a hip replacement which means he is off work. There is a lot still to do around the property in the way of gardens etc - she had a beautiful garden before and at their age they don't want to be starting again. It would have been a lot easier to buy something established elsewhere than have to start from scratch again. Their story is not unusual and it was nearly 5 years ago now.

As for the fence post - it went with all the other rubble Maureen. There is literally nothing left on their property that was there before - barring a few trees and the dam. Kerrie's mother died about 2 years after the fire.

I love this as much now as when you first shared it with me Heather-a touching piece.

Cheers
Sue

Thanks Sue. Glad you like it.

Thanks Matt.

I detect a bit of a post fetish here . . first The Last Post and now The Blackened Post Will there be a little something to round off the Trilogy?

Seriously though, wonderful to see this up, as it's been a long time in conception as you indicated. Love it!

Cheers, Marty

mmmm....maybe lost in the post....

Thanks Marty - as always. Did you show Willow?

Heather

Speaking of which, give those little Patties a big hug for me....