A River Ruined By Man . . .
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:43 am
In quiet valley there is a waterfall seemingly frozen in time
result of man's interference with nature, waterfall salty brine
the Fitzgerald River, series of smelly, stagnant , brackish pools
nature adapting to salty landscape, using various plants as tools
Stringy plants, windblown pockets of soil, debris in clefts and cracks
notable absence of native animals leaving prints on salty tracks
shards of paperbark, high up in trees after recent floods, stranded
like washing, hung out a long time ago in Dreamtime, abandoned
Brown stains of water trickling down grooves on granite rock face
a violent act of nature, in very distant past, must have taken place
then suddenly, coastal barrier of sand dunes appear, white as snow
slowly encroaching vegetation in harsh environment tries to grow
Large Tiger snake, scaly body and grotesque, imitation Mallee root
in this desolate windswept landscape it's always damp underfoot
Christmas spiders, patterned yellow, black, orange web on ground
Goannas, a few ground dwellers, subdued colours, scurry round
Round hole in granite, water deep within, smooth steep sides
on bottom dead Goanna, desperate for water, down it did slide
low slung clouds, divergent rays of sunshine in this salt laden air
threatening rains, staying on far horizon, not moving anywhere
Sea-breeze, rustling Banksia seed cones, backed by chorus of birds
songs of nature, treasured time warp, not always understood, heard
darkness descending Milky Way, dissecting moonless sky, black void
landscape, once flourishing, now almost barren, due to human exploit
result of man's interference with nature, waterfall salty brine
the Fitzgerald River, series of smelly, stagnant , brackish pools
nature adapting to salty landscape, using various plants as tools
Stringy plants, windblown pockets of soil, debris in clefts and cracks
notable absence of native animals leaving prints on salty tracks
shards of paperbark, high up in trees after recent floods, stranded
like washing, hung out a long time ago in Dreamtime, abandoned
Brown stains of water trickling down grooves on granite rock face
a violent act of nature, in very distant past, must have taken place
then suddenly, coastal barrier of sand dunes appear, white as snow
slowly encroaching vegetation in harsh environment tries to grow
Large Tiger snake, scaly body and grotesque, imitation Mallee root
in this desolate windswept landscape it's always damp underfoot
Christmas spiders, patterned yellow, black, orange web on ground
Goannas, a few ground dwellers, subdued colours, scurry round
Round hole in granite, water deep within, smooth steep sides
on bottom dead Goanna, desperate for water, down it did slide
low slung clouds, divergent rays of sunshine in this salt laden air
threatening rains, staying on far horizon, not moving anywhere
Sea-breeze, rustling Banksia seed cones, backed by chorus of birds
songs of nature, treasured time warp, not always understood, heard
darkness descending Milky Way, dissecting moonless sky, black void
landscape, once flourishing, now almost barren, due to human exploit