A poem for Mandy and John

This poem was inspired by a lovely 3 days we spent with the Labram family in Yackandandah, just after Easter.

No Boxing Kangaroos

Labram’s hill, Yackandandah
Early morning sketching
No boxing kangaroos
But birds glorious in technicolour
Crimson rosella, lorikeets
Honeyeaters, nature’s gaudiest on show

End of summer autumn tints
And fearful drought’s dire signs
Tall trees felled, grass burnt brown
Victorian landscape in Indigo Shire
Our English friends at home here now
Welcoming us, visiting your new lives

Gold rush history, cottage
In the country township
Speak of settler hardship
Flat whites on The Bakery’s sunlit porch
A forest walk to Woolshed Falls
Then stunned by sunset over sacred rocks

How much you have gained, making
This move, from crowded streets
A world away, England
To blue skies land, with space for all to breathe
For boys to run and spirits grow
Freely, wild and lovely, Australia

Dreams from my father



Lunging through grey waters to Kangaroo Island

Southern Ocean’s jewel, last stop Antarctica

I think of time and place and separation’s pull

And journeys made in tears and hope



My father an ambitious Scot set forth one day

With never a backward glance nor grief for family

Dreaming, I suppose, of making his life anew

But stopped abruptly, meeting love



Another now turned sixty settled long ago

To raise a family where eucalyptus reigns

Beneath the Southern Cross at night, his world upturned

But yearns for England’s soft rainfall



Tread softly now for baby Isaac sleeps and dreams

His doting parents present joy and future hope

From the Solomon Islands, England, Adelaide

Forbears travelling, meet in him

Last weekend we all went to Adelaide for a wonderful weekend with my cousin Martin and his family, celebrating the wedding of his second daughter Kelly, to Dustin. Also there were Martin's sister Marilyn and- big surprise for the bride, Marilyn's son Tony, over in Oz for a long weekend! Jodi - Kelly's sister- was there as a bridesmaid, and we had a chance to meet up with her lovely month old baby Isaac. We all had a great time with what felt like real family across the globe. The vows exchanged by the couple were hilariously funny and very personal to them. A very special time, all in all.

Afterwards Andy and I went to Kangaroo Island for 2 days, which is a real gem, with lots of wild life and beautiful white sand beaches. Really excited to see koala close up, and an echidna trying to hide from my camera.