ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Hi All,
We have been up in the high country of the Snowies for the last two weeks and I felt I just had to scribble a few lines about this beautiful place.

Cheers Terry



THE HIGH COUNTRY

I looked out then from Charlotte's Pass and viewed the scene with awe,
high mountains all around me, oh such beauty there I saw!
With rugged peaks that seemed to reach the heavens and beyond,
while down below in valley’s deep, a creek, a sparkling pond.
Snow gums adorn the sheltered slopes with granite all around,
while stunted plants and flowers carpet miles of stony ground.

Small streams crisscross the valley floors and trickle down the slopes,
where trout are rising in the pools, to raise an anglers hopes.
And now the wind has died away and sunshine bathes the hills -
the only sounds to reach my ears; the gurgle of the rills.
I glimpsed this piece of paradise as I was passing by,
but soon the storm clouds gathered here to dominate the sky.

Yet vigilance is needed to protect this lovely place,
remote and inaccessible; wild fires can freely race.
On distant slopes skeletal trees reminders from the past,
of raging fires destroying all that felt their fiery blast.
The land has now recovered; just those bones of trees remain,
reminding all how easily the fires could come again.




© T.E. Piggott

Yes Terry, it sure is Gods own country. If there was ever a place to inspire a bit of writing!! Hope you managed to snare a trout or two.


Cheers
Sue

Beautiful - makes me want to be there right now - how lucky were you to be there actually experiencing it.

Stumbled a tad over the happen word here


You’ll glimpse a slice of paradise, if you happen to pass by,
before the storm clouds gather here to darken up the sky.

could perhaps try

You’ll glimpse a slice of paradise, if perchance you pass by,
before the storm clouds gather here to darken up the sky.

Cheers

Maureen

Thanks for sharing this, Terry, some of us have never seen what you portray.

Your words carry a description that can be translated onto canvas.

On distant slopes skeletal trees reminders from the past,
of raging fires destroying all that felt their fiery blast.
The land has now recovered; just those bones of trees remain,
reminding all how easily the fires could come again.

These lines in your final verse remind me of the Victorian fires of 2009, and how at first glance the trees look healthy, but hidden behind the flush of green are the blackened branches of wounded life.

I have the privileged of living in this country that against all odds heals its wounds whether caused by mankind or from a natural force. This very nature is prevalent in the people as well.

Thanks for the visions,
Go well and safely,


Eliza

Hi Sue,
Really enjoying it up here, haven't exactly wiped out the trout population as of yet but getting a couple.



Hi Marty,
Walked up to Porkupine rocks yesterday, what stunning views mate.


Cheers Terry

Hi Maureen,
You're right, mind you i did say a few scribbled lines, ah well six of the best and had to largely rewrite that stanza,
hope I've got it right this time.

Certainly stunning up here Maureen and even more enjoyable after watching Perth's recent run of hot weather.
I'm too worn out after all our walking to bother too much with writing at the moment, but really enjoying the change of scenery.

Cheers Terry

Hi Eliza,
As Sue says it certainly inspirational up here.
The dead trees I mention in the poem are from the big bush fires up here a few years ago and look like the bleached remnants of petrified trees. The Snow Gums are slowly regenerating as new plants, but are I'm told a very slow growing tree.

Cheers Terry

G'day Terry,

Gee mate, you've been everywhere but the Illawarra. Is it on your list of 'to see' before you return to the West?

You (and any other readers) would be most welcome to come along to our 7am Wednesday, Coniston Community hall (one train stop south of Wollongong.) right beside the station. IBP don't force anyone to 'get up' but they are encouraged to do so. It is all very friendly and casual. One thing I like about turning up somewhere different is that, most of the people there have no expectations of you. Therefore you can act or speak as you would want to.

Regarding your poem; you are doing so well this year I won't presume to 'pick' at it. I did enjoy the read and the images are very clear. Another for your forthcoming book?

G'day Terry.

Is Jindabyne anywhere nearby ?

Jim.

Hi Zondrae,
That second line of the first stanza deserves to be questioned, a bit over the top (no pun intended) and the English leaves a bit to be desired. But as I said this was just a few scribbled lines trying paint a picture of the beautiful views.

As much as I would like to I don't think we will be passing through your area this time as we will soon start slowly wending our way back to the west.

As far as the comps go things seem to go in cycles don't they, occasionally you have a little run of successand then your luck runs out again.

As for this poem it would need a lot of work to make it really worthwhile, at a later date I wouldn't mind trying to write a poem or two about this country, there is so much history up here. I've read a lot about it and I reckon you can feel it all around you.

Cheers Terry