Paul Willason | + Follow Poet |
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Crossing a Continent At Night

Down a runway skybound
to cross a continent, 
see from a window
a city fall away
with bright beads 
strung along a coast,
then turning inland, 
clumped townships 
shrinking to solitary lights
sunk far apart
into hours
of featureless dark. 

Disconnected
from the earth,
let the mind paint
the blank distances 
and wander landscapes 
of Namatjira's hills
and ghost gums 
and photographic stills
of outback towns
and along railway lines 
spearing the horizon 
where a big sun 
hemorrhages 
into an evening sky.
 
Then settle back
and allow a familiar picture 
to arise from behind closed eyes
of light patched office towers
and stacked apartments
with tall derricks 
puncturing the night
as it slides by
in soundless haste.
And way below, 
playing out on some
inner screen, follow
stuttering road signs
and arteries of red tail lights
leading to narrow alleys where,
as if funneled into an ear,
you hear the sound of sirens 
being dragged
along hot, crowded streets.
In time, let the noise abate
until faces dissolve and life
slurries back into a thick
air conditioned hum.

Doze a little
then try to unpack 
the images collaged
across the hours.
Nothing adheres.
What had once 
held together seems  
to fray and fall apart. 
Feel a slight unease
as the engines begin
to throttle back and comence
the slow descent. There,
bubbled on the horizon,  
see the glow of city lights
drawing in a converging arc
of flights like moths.



Notes.

Namatjira refers to great Australian and First Nation painter,
Albert Namatjira (1902 - 1959) famous for capturing central Australian landscape including the iconic Ghost Gum, a species of Eucalyptus tree. His work speaks to a deep spiritual connection to the land, something held by his people for well over 40,000 years.
Poem refers to flight across the continent of Australia, East to West, approx. distance 4000 km.

Copyright © Paul Willason | Year Posted 2022

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