So much love you
To spread over the face of nature,
The Sky and back, Go birds.
Evening in the girl's face
Keep your heart pure of thought,
With you in the evening get together
The bright light of the world in the country.

(On the death of a daughter)

The death I must pronounce upon
For you, parents, the wait was long
Across this land unjustly tried
Your silence only proof you lied.
In pitch darkness, dragged overland
By Dingo jaws and human hand
Guilty and gaoled, she would have read
In her sixth year, were she not dead
Just six weeks, never spoke a word
Now flies the night, free as a bird
Over deserts ochre and red
On Uluru she rests her head
Wakens and plays in sunlight stark
Darts in rock shadows, cool and dark
In Rainbow Spirit surely trust
She lies lightly in sand and dust.

© M.L.Emmett

beset by death we dine
with possibility and choice

McCall! while I was searching for a cat
in a kenyan's zoo,
something made noise like a rat
not knowing it was you.

I wanted to name you into class
of higher mammal,
but seeing you eating grass
is an assurance that you are a wild animal.