forest breathing


what is this?

this quiet place

where peace pervades


a state of being

forest floor to canopy

seeing bushland raw

in roots and rocks

layers and lines

the building blocks of time


we walk sequestered glades

of dappled shade

with feathered ferns

turned softly to the light


lichened logs lie wantonly

across a creek where

tumbled boulders

capture remnant pools

hidden spaces we find there

cool secret places

habitat envined


stop and listen ... not a sound

no birdsong

not even insect hum

stillness surrounds

bright forest giants

dreaming in the sun


this ...

this is where

we dare to lose ourselves

in the silence

J Bandidt    ©  7 July 2015

Maroochy Regional Bushland and Botanic Gardens

Upland and Creek Walk

‘Ask that your way be long’ *        

Blank windows, drooping flags,

gondola beaks tugging to be free.

Mile upon mile of churning green,

terracotta rooftops, glowing palaces.

The final bend is rounded

and we behold the bright, white dome.

 
We won’t disembark.

Enough to gaze on the basilica

and be dazzled. 

 
It’s possible we will never get to Ithaka,

nor step inside the Madonna della Salute.

How did that poem go?

‘Ithaka gave you the marvellous journey.

Without her you would not have set out’,

 
*Cavafy: ‘Ithaka’


Lyn Browne

[While researching for our Poetry Trail project, I've been asking myself 'What is the connection between Poetry and the Environment?' and came up with the following. Please add your thoughts and comments.]

Embedding Poetry in the Landscape

• Why is this important?

• What is the connection between poetry and the environment?

There is a symbiotic relationship between poetry and the environment that brings out the best of both worlds.

Poetry is an expressive and powerful medium that can be utilised to cast a spotlight on the broad canvas of our physical environment in a number of ways. We are all familiar with poetry that describes the natural world of landscapes, seascapes, flora and fauna and how the poet interacts with this world. We also find poetry that draws attention to serious issues particular environments face going forward into an uncertain future. In all cases poetry, particularly when it is honed, refined, and without obfuscation, can deliver a targeted, encapsulated message with immediate impact.

The environment, on the other hand, by its very existence, both inspires and terrifies writers. Certainly, the environment can help invoke the poet's muse by providing a plethora of settings that promote creativity and stimulate the desire to experience, to connect to 'place', to describe and to relate. But it also exposes the need to listen, to make sense of contextual clues and to question, and herein lies the challenge for poets to communicate their responses in a meaningful way.

Judy Bandidt

July 2015