ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

THE CANOE

The deep dark waters of the Georges River
flowed slow, where mangrove thickets hugged the shore,
but I could only look across and wonder ;
I had no boat to put out and explore.

A kayak or canoe could carry me
Out to the secret places of that stream
But like the magic carpet made of myth
The river-gliding craft remained a dream.

I borrowed someone else’s fibreglass
canoe to find the hidden reedy bays
of Parramatta’s scrubby rocky lake.
But borrowed doesn’t last, it’s soon away.

Beyond the swampy paperbarks out where
the pelicans serenely sailed the tide,
lies Sussex Inlet’s wide and sandy tract,
and hire canoe the only way to ride.

My kayak or canoe made out of wood.
My kayak or canoe in fibreglass.
Although I dreamed to have the means for that.
reality would never come to pass.

Yes we all have our dreams Neville, unfortunately they seldom seem to come to pass.
Sounds like a nice spot, the sort of place that I would love I reckon.

So keep on dreaming mate, the next one might come true.

Terry

Good one Neville - seems we all had dreams when we were younger, and I guess most of us still do only these days we dream of winning Lotto, or a house/car/cruise. The success rate will doubtless be similar

Love your word picture of the Georges River, Neville! It is very evocative. Now I want a canoe too!!

What a beautiful and very clear picture you paint of the river and inlet here, Neville, where the 'pelicans serenely sailed the tide' - love this, and was only thinking about Sussex Inlet the other day... It's a lovely spot, and a canoe would indeed have been a young boy's dream!

Thanks Catherine. Still a dream. I have never owned a boat of any kind.