Whither the waste on every street
civil detritus at my feet
yet I walk on ignoring implications
of daily deposits and ruination
the industry iceberg from households deflects
convenience trumps, responsibility defects
as blithely we step our way into history
dumping waste our greatest legacy
and each new generation cries why me?
as they fill the land with more misery
No one looks out the window anymore
everyone is always eyes down
no one sees the natural light
only the glow of the phone
and the things that pass them by
the nature and design
there’s so much to see away from the phone
interesting and refined
The gully is the belly of the forest
the soft wet green place
where digestive juices change things
one form to another
the gully is the heart of the forest
where nutrient rich fluids are pumped
vital organs synchronise their functions
to the vital goal of common survival
the gully is the womb of the forest
where meetings become intimate couplings
fertilisers are spread daily by fauna or flora
fertilisation is automatic according to the season
the gully is the incubator of the forest
where diverse growth prospers
and dormant growth awaits just the right time
where seeds and spores are stored for better weather
when better weather is not come
the gully is a place
to take your body
to appreciate and learn
what life can be
Beauty is in the moment
Sitting by a window
Sun streaming in
From directly across the way
Low in the pale blue winter sky
But strong enough to warm the room
Through tall floor to ceiling glass
Strong black lines
The shadows of the woodwork
Stretch long, deep and straight
Across shiny slate
Framing the scene
Defining the space
Giving shape to enveloping comfort
Warming the calm
Enclosing peacefulness
As I now heavy lidded
Look out on gold rimmed trees
Vivid green grass
Foraging birds
And hear the cascading water of the creek
Beauty is in this moment
An excellent walk in the towering Woollybutt Alpine Ash forest of Mt Stirling. Find my map and description here https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/5836
The Finch
with red brow and olive wings
presents a pretty picture
Upon its chosen perch
it even makes the invasive thistle look good
With pleasure I spy
scenery I would rather deny
This is the second last of the ten walks to be mapped and published by me from Winton Wetlands. It has taken a while to get to, but it was worth the wait: Lunette walk
You can find the other Winton Wetlands walks I have published to date here: https://wintonwetlands.org.au/walking/
I drink of life’s cup.
I adore its open doors.
Anticipation is best
when one thinks upon - there’s more!
As I pass on through,
into new areas to explore,
I reap the harvest of experience
for my keepsake drawer.
I find myself in other places
where nature’s spell is spun,
where my fears and failings
vanish into none.
I look upon the sky above
a sky will always stun.
I take my pleasure in Mother Earth
being at one under the sun.
It was only one bird, I saw was missing from the sky.
And then I realised there was another missing that I could not deny.
Then,the flocks and gatherings I saw were missing from the coast.
Where had all the birds gone? That flight, that wing, that multitudinous host?
I saw the water washing clear upon the beaches of rock and sand.
I saw the water empty there, devoid of life it flushed the sparking strand.
There was one ragged crab as dead could be, it was wedged in a scaly crust.
Where once there were shellfish diverse and plentiful, now all were ground to dust.
Summer people walked and played in the waves, they paddled close to shore.
Unaware of the teeming life, that was there no more.
Where the water touched the land, the interface was sterile,
But one could still splash and be cool, with no inkling it was puerile.
Koetong Creek in Mt Lawson State Park runs through open woodland of Narrow and Broad-leaf Peppermint, Candlebark, Manna, Blue and Brittle Gum, Red Stringybark, Long-leaf and Red Box. You will also find Black Cyrpess-pine and Kurrajong. The combination of diverse forest layers, a cascading waterway (Spa) and beautiful wildflowers give this walk a real buzz. Take a hike.
You will find the walking map and details I have published on http://www.walkingmaps.com.au here Koetong “Spa” and Wildflower walk
Watkins walk is a Strathbogie Tableland roadside walk through grazing farmland and native forest. One of its other attractive features is the high conservation value roadside vegetation including various towering species of eucalypt.
Such roadsides are critical local biolinks for flora and fauna. There is plenty to see and wildlife sightings are common.
This is a little trafficked smooth gravel road and Strathbogie Tableland is quiet. You can hear cars approaching from some way off. It is pretty safe walking. However, it still makes sense to stick to the right of the road so you are facing any oncoming vehicles that do appear.
Click this link Watkins walk to the map I have created on http://www.walkingmaps.com.au
I'm walking in the evening smelling all the sounds I'm strolling through the gloaming Doing my enchantment rounds I'm catching all the moonbeams and putting them in my pocket Remembering fondly daydreams Preparing days last docket The path is lit so brightly in silver and dappled grey The water sprites dance lightly on moonlit water spray And where the cascading creek pools calmly at my feet it reflects the Milky Way I'm walking in the evening Hearing all that I can see I sense the bobuck in the tree before the bobuck senses me A tawny frogmouth silhouettes against a star bright sky With silent flight of no regret his dive is only heard by eye White shades of cockatoos perch ghostly in pairs aloft Crests rising to the "Who? Who?" of the barn owl in near croft A mother koala briefly joins me on her own purposeful path Her joey clinging grimly to her shoulders makes me laugh And then a cool spring breeze tousles my hair as if to please and praise my meandering task I'm walking in the evening touching scents borne on air I'm feeling all I'm feeling I'm shedding care by care Honeysuckle's sweet subtle breath permeates all around Bullrushes whisper secrets kept Chocolate lilies abound The swamp gum rustles above me The peppermint towers high The snow gum looks so lovely as I tread quietly by Flowering gums are tipped with fairy tutus The manna creaks as it sways All sprinkle the night with eucalyptus scent whispering to the wind, “Australian bush” they say And then on the horizon I see my home It calls me from my roaming To sit in darkness without a sound I savour all the night has shown me while walking in the evening
This week the d’verse prompt is from Lillian. She asks we poets to, “Take a walk with me.” You can view the full prompt here https://dversepoets.com/2023/09/05/take-a-walk-with-me/ I have chosen to rework a poem from a while ago that reflects on walks in the evening near my home. I hope you enjoyed walking with me.
You can donate here: https://chuffed.org/project/strathbogieforest-legal-action
It has been a while since I have embarked on a GTO (or much in the way of creative writing at all for that matter). I have been otherwise occupied. Why? Happily, the reason is the subject of this GTO.
In retirement I developed my habits of walking, cycling and writing into something more like lifestyle choices. Combined with photography, I found myself outside often, roaming in new places, observing with pleasure, feeling fortunate and interested in the many ways and forms of life and ecosystems around me. It costs little, the prep is fun, the exercise is great and every outing opens your eyes that much wider and your mind expands that much further and you just feel good.
I found myself privileged. Here in Victoria there are so many diverse natural places to savour. Even where environmental degradation has occurred there is often evidence life will find a way. (Whether with or without humans takes on less and less significance exploring as an individual. You barely register on the scale of things so you don’t matter one little bit. You are simply lucky to be there and to bear witness).
I started mapping, photographing and describing these places for others to share. It seemed a good retirement project – to spread the feelings of well being experienced in diverse green spaces . To identify low cost beneficial outdoor activities for other people. To put walkers in these spaces as discoverers of beauty and advocates for deterring misuse and champions of habitat improvement.
Since then I have been asked to transform this hobby into project work for local government and a health promotion charity. As grateful for such opportunities as I am, and as good as that has been, I now finally get to the specific subject of this GTO.
Over the past six months I have been working on a new and wonderful project: “Walking and Rolling: accessible walking paths for people with disability”. Our inclusive team has co-designed an audit tool for assessing walking paths for accessibility. I have been co-auditing accessible walks beside people with disability.
We launched the first 24 Victorian accessible walks last week in a joyful celebration on a glorious day. We have made the audit tool publicly available as a free to use resource for people with disability, carers, families and land managers to do their own assessments and publish accessible walks they identify. Accessible walks are for everyone. There are more to come.
This is an incredibly worthy GTO for me to have fallen into. To my colleagues and the people with disability who have helped make this happen, I will be appreciative to the end of my days. In the meantime, let’s keep going!
I am currently mapping walks in the extensive Winton Wetlands. Greens Hill is one of my favourites. See the full Victoria Walks walkingmaps version here: Greens Hill Walk
The most recent walk from my work for Winton Wetlands. For the full Victoria Walks version use this link: Heron Loop Walk
The most recent walk I have mapped in Winton Wetlands. View the full version on Victoria Walks walkingmaps here: Woodland Walk
A new walk I have published on Victoria Walks walkingmaps. You can see the full version here: Mokoan Ponds Walk
A special walk that adds to the wonderful outdoor public art collection at Winton Wetlands. You can view the full version and artist details here: Lotjpatj Natjan Danak
A new Towong region walk I have published on VictoriaWalks walkingmaps: https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/5472
Victoria is a beautiful state big as the United Kingdom, but in Australia rates as quite small. If you travel in any direction from capital city Melbourne there is pleasure and inspiration in visiting the natural world. 1/2 hour short distances, 8 hour long distances, extremes of snow or desert, amazing bushland instances. Every place I choose to go provides a kind of joy. No two places ever show the same kinds of joy though. But also losses are mounting. I see it in most places now. Degradation is a haunting. Yet to fix it we know how. Let’s do something about re-wilding as Attenborough says we should. Let’s stop the carping and the chiding and talk about how we all could.
Written for the W3 on The Skeptic’s Kaddish Britta prompted for a poem that included the name of a city, town or village.
immersed in water
luxuriously suspended in space
cut off from the entire breathing human race
reflecting on water
so much to consider
when water as commodity goes to the highest bidder
tumbling in water
battered by an abused life giving sea
will i survive this wave crunching of me?
drinking any water
found on a scorching day
too many of these are making the earth pay
freezing in water
a break in the ice
i pull myself up, but just fall in twice
drawing down water
bought for the farm
having to buy water represents harm
a well full of water
a sense of security
an empty well brings fear to my family
river bed water
evaporates into the air
when will i see it again? i can’t up there
everywhere water
after drought comes flooding rain
our homes went under last year, then again and again
methane in the water
turn the tap and it burns
fracking structural layers causes geological churn
water suspension
plastic on every scale
next on the weather agenda - plastic hail
toxic water
neutralises fishing skills
no good fisherman can live on massive fish kills
ocean water
systems anchor for the world
danger warning flags ignored although they’ve been unfurled
wars over water
beginning and the end
is your water consuming neighbour enemy or friend?
drowning in water issues
battling exhaustion
this marks the end of my allocated portion
My first attempt at responding to David’s W3 where PoW Sylvia Cognac’s prompt is “water”
Here is a link to the latest walk I have published on VictoriaWalks walkingmaps https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/5485
poetography.ink 