beautiful bluff
feathered in mist
silent and proud
moisture kissed
almost broke my knees getting to you
but now you’re a lover
whose company is missed
and coming home
rounding the curves
near your sea skirt
I look up
at your vertical mantle
with a loving heart
so glad to be living
in your embrace

sometimes you disappoint me
especially when you
massively buy toilet paper
and sometimes you express
great compassion and generosity
when you make sure fire victims
are supported and nurtured

essentially you are followers of leaders
which begs the need for good leaders

never before have we needed
examples of goodness to guide us
through the challenges of the future

and so i offer this

be the reason,
someone believes that there are good people

whaddayoudo
between fast food and poo
of benefit to this earth
what is left
or are you bereft
of any contributing worth

you accelerate too fast
and squander the stuff
that took millions of years to make
what do you think
in the din of your doof
as you take and take and take

are you nuts
to leave a trail of butts
and grunting diatribe
dropping your empties
what were you thinking
it's just such a bad vibe

you sneer an swear
and put smoke in the air
and criticise all that’s arty
you adopt talk of the street
and a derivative beat
as you fight for your right to party

whaddayoudo
between fast food and poo
that is of redeeming worth
whaddayoudo
that would be fine and true
that's of benefit to this earth?

we once were
weren’t we?
oh how we could have
been more?
different now though
happy with our paths
who knows
where we would be?
still that lingering
possibility
that more was there
i am now here
you are there
impossible
to compare
Still with
all the love
in our lives
there’s that
undying
spark still
in the embers

there is an ominous sense of portent
in the air
in the orange glow of the sun
in the dry heat
in the smoke in the air

for others it was far worse
in hellish bush fire infernos
seeing their homes and all familiarity
converted to ash
alone with nothing but tears

a natural disaster
born of
unnatural plundering of earth resources
the consequence of consumerism without restraint
and a soothsaying denying bogan Shrek of a PM
pretending to care just to save his political neck
go back to kirribilli ya ****
there’s no votes for you here

suddenly the consequences of she'll be right
we'll vote for relatable people who will take care of jobs
are outed as people who have no long term idea
but the're own short term political survival
and are culpable for the hell around us now

suddenly the offence we have inflicted on nature
is showing us the kick back
and the arrogance of thinking we were in control
is being torched by an angry mother
who doesn't love us for what we've done
we were deluded to think we had any control
now surrounded by bush fires that are out of control

portending a time for humility
and acceptance that we are not needed

blessed i am
to wake surrounded
by bird songs multifarious
each with their signature calls
saying ...

where’s my mate
we need to perpetuate

driven by nature’s code
keeping within my mode
where’s my mate
we need to perpetuate

alive and in my prime
now is our time
where’s my mate
we need to perpetuate

i’m looking to find
a lover of my kind
where’s my mate
we need to perpetuate

joyous chirping, tweeting, whistling
warbling, crowing and wooing
in a chorus of overtures
invitations to the nub of life,
procreation

mauve and red on azure hue
jacarandas, flame trees and summer blue
that time again of heat
and inappropriate rituals

we grew here
and santa clause flew here!
who does he think he is?

roast dinners while paul kelly
asks who will make the gravy

bush fire victims needy of funding
while millions are spent on fireworks
as though there wasn’t enough smoke
or air pollution

families who avoid each other
through the year
gather with cheap coloured paper hats
and pull the ritual bonbon
and tell bad puns
to fill the gaps in conversation
and the cicadas sing out
the banality, the ennui

while cashed up families
tow caravans up and down the coast
to camping area suburbias
and celebrate their right
to overeat and drink beer
their god given entitlement
to be strayan
and talk about queue jumpers

that’s why i make my own ritual
based on the good things
of that time ...

respite from daily routine
time for quiet reflection
on the worth
of who you are
and who you’ve helped