Category Archives: Bush Poetics

Landscapes

Earth and Air
In Perth basin a flat landscape of sand and limestone; a place of earth and air; birds, butterflies, insects and wildflowers of all colours; a place where light and earth breaks down, catabolic.

In Kathmandu valley foothills of clay; also earth and air; birds, butterflies, insects but colour less than Perth; light and earth is more upbuilding, anabolic.

In Himalayas mountains of granite; also earth and air; limited life; light catabolic, earth anabolic.

Water to Fire
In Bali an island from coast to mountains; water to fire; birds and insects almost muted; more life-filled.

Fire
The Phillipines from coast to mountains; country of fire and I.

Water and Fire

I walk the parkland between the tuarts by western Perry Lake and note the brown stains on the often bark-less trees. They’re scarred not by markings but by bore water waterings—the grass between them green. I look around the lake and note the reveg plantings, but with weeds on the shoreline between larger trees—a weeping willow even. More water here now that water from a nearby lake has been diverted, no longer heading out to sea. 

I look across the scene of brown barked trees and the green of grass between, created walking space with overhead canopy, thinking of movement as well as camping, noting a statue marking a large global scout gathering here, noting other unmarked gatherings in soil beneath. 

And I realise, where Europeans use water, Aboriginal people use fire—not with fear, but sustainably, creatively.

The Colours of Summer

Recently I’ve seen the tea tree flowers all twisted and circling, white and lightly scented, with bees. I’ve seen the paperbark begin their march to a seemingly early opening of similar flowering. I’ve seen the towering canopy of marri trees, all white and powder coated, starlike in the day. I’ve seen the red of what I assume are yorgums opening bright and forcefully. And I’ve seen the yellow of illyarrie pushing through their fiery caps also seemingly early.

I’ve seen the colours of birak—the first summering. The white of the too-bright light of this city. The red of the warmth of this place, firelike and flaming. The yellow of the inbetween-ness, of a more-evening sun gently setting, more like the next season seeping in.