Feather

[Stephen Whiteside]

Yesterday I spent a glorious afternoon walking the Tanglefoot Circuit. It winds through the tall mountain ash forests around Toolangi. There is also a dense understory of tree ferns.

The track is wide and easy to follow, though the number of fallen trees made it something of a challenge at times.

I saw a large number of huge tree stumps, each with its horizontal slot cut into the side for the plank that the axeman stood on.

I think there's a poem in this.

First line: "I'm haunted by the rotting stumps of giants."

I didn't see a lot of wildlife - for better or for worse. Wombats and echidnas are great, snakes less so.

I did, however, come across this amazing feather. I think it belongs to a wedge-tailed eagle.

[Neville Briggs]

You could write your nature poem using the feather as a pen.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Yes, it would make a fine quill.

Perhaps one day we'll be able to fit all birds with flying drones, and they won't need feathers. That would certainly give us more quills, wouldn't it? But hang on, we don't need them either, do we? Hmmm....back to the drawing board!