River walks, in heat that talks —
Crimson rosellas, long-billed birds, and gredbes stalked
Storks as we wandered along the Murray
trails as old as time.

I pondered how many centuries of DNA traces,
Floated in, around and along these places,
Merging yours with mine.

The bark on the trees that shaded us below,
Hid bats that when arms stretched broke off, exposing the trunk mellow,
And littering the shoreline with grime.

We were walking with history in the present,
And these memories I wanted to cement,
In this consciousness of mine.