Jeanette Swan | + Follow Poet |
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Glory

I have watched tree-giants 
in deep forest-cathedrals
declare glory, speak of heaven
in sanctuaries where birds rejoice 
between branches 
under leafy-windows  
– green and gold. 
I have seen where roots 
pierce stone. 

Then, glazed December
cracked. Empty 
summer storms 
thundered,
stabbed lightning 
straight through giant-hearts
to the dirt floor.

Fire:

raging fever, contagion,
pain, death, loss,
ashes.

And afterwards,
the once-burnt feet of a lone koala,
a soothed survivor,
were clinging anew to the arm 
of a tree, waiting 
for more disaster.

We heard the next thing coming
on the weather-report
and put the bikes in the shed.

Here it is!
One cloud, like a fist,
hits hard.  Leather-dry-sky
splits into a dark stampede. 

Invading gales 
rip bones from trees, 
pelt rain at dust,
dust that leaps up,
surprised to fall as mud,
mud that tumbles, twists
into bubbling brown
creeks, rivers, dams;
overspills, 
smothers,
kills fire,
drowns.

It’s all been on my screen,
along with the newborn grandchild
un-kissed.

When will I tip-toe 
to see  new growth
on the charred forest giants,
hear loud cicadas chant,
and celebrate – singing  
with lorikeet lunatics,
and a first kiss?

Sill dressed in beauty -
this weary world patiently waits
for the next.

................................................
Written after 2019/2020  'Black Summer' bushfires and floods, and Covid related news and lockdowns.

Copyright © Jeanette Swan | Year Posted 2024

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Hiya Sharma Date: 1/11/2024 6:57:00 PM Gosh, this is such an aching and soul stirring write, dear Jeanette...Those situations of forest fires, floods and covid, all together in particular places, were absolutely terrible when all hardships got surrounded in the ambience at the same time..Sigh, the emotional turbulence and fears of uncertainty can be felt in your lines, as the glory of nature and tree-giants gets burnt and then taken away by floods..that ending where you've described waiting for hope,along with your newborn grandchild Login to Reply Jeanette Swan Date: 1/12/2024 9:04:00 PM Thanks for your words. I appreciate your envcouragement to write. There is much grief in the world - then and now, and yes - always a signature of hope in there - waiting. I'm a bit of a tree lover (a lot actually). Trees are living poems. Hiya Sharma Date: 1/11/2024 6:58:00 PM Ahh, that's so heartfelt.. I need to FAV this write, it really is a very deep one and conveys so much ~ keep writing and shining dear, sending light!