Sigrid Ermine | + Follow Poet |
Free verse | + Fav Poem | Comment | Email | Print |

Rising Aussie Autumn

Plenty is forsaken 
                                               Before
                                    Serenity is Awkened


Vehemence of flames devour branches 
Fire's wicked lick strikes long bark skirts 
Devastation ashen flattened unrecognisable 
Has a seemingly insurmountable task 

Charcoal spurs awakening of tiny children
Stubborn sprouts assert their need with a shove
Koalas discarded crawl tentatively back to snack
Goannas gratefully lap at ash powdered puddles 

Great Southern Land is a Lady on a mission 
Renowned for whole hearted hatred challenging
Hard nosed creatures created to recover, resume
Their calm rightful realm of red stemmed growth

Abundance is given a great chance in our Autumn 
Eucalypt wave flags of ever shifting resilience 
Terror of fire has no existence in their ambition 
Vibrant tiles of lime tickle black yesterday's belly




18th August 2020

Written for Contest:  Serenity Awakened
Sponsor:   Regina McIntosh

Copyright © Sigrid Ermine | Year Posted 2020

Please Login to post a comment

Lindsay Laurie Date: 8/20/2020 11:11:00 PM G'day Sigrid ... bushfires over the past few seem to be more frequent and devastating. On one occasion we were told to leave home but thankfully only ash rained down on our property. Very, very scary though - thank you Sigrid for your fine poetic description - Lindsay Login to Reply Sigrid Ermine Date: 9/6/2020 9:03:00 PM Just saw now... Oh no, I'll pop to you to ask where you live..

John Jones Date: 8/20/2020 1:08:00 AM Beautiful snapshot of awful devastation. Well done. Login to Reply Sigrid Ermine Date: 8/20/2020 1:55:00 PM Yes, it was. Thanks, John.

Harry Horsman Date: 8/19/2020 12:13:00 AM A poem about the devastation of the Australian fires, and a autumn reprieve, excellent poetry so intense in the telling. Stay Safe....Harry Login to Reply Sigrid Ermine Date: 8/20/2020 1:54:00 PM Thank you, Harry

Jenish Somadas Date: 8/18/2020 9:57:00 PM Their calm rightful realm of red stemmed growth.. Enjoyed your poem.. Very well crafted Sigrid.. Good luck.. Login to Reply Sigrid Ermine Date: 8/18/2020 10:05:00 PM Cheers, Jenish!

Belden Raiser Date: 8/18/2020 6:39:00 PM Hope springs from the carnage. Enjoyed reading this Sigrid! Login to Reply Sigrid Ermine Date: 8/18/2020 7:47:00 PM Ta, bra

Andrea Dietrich Date: 8/18/2020 4:33:00 PM You use language so well, Sigrid, and the quote at the top really sets this up. I think you called yourself an infant poet?? (over at a comment i got from you) No, you are not an infant at all!! Login to Reply Sigrid Ermine Date: 8/18/2020 6:35:00 PM Humble thanks

Gershon Wolf Date: 8/17/2020 8:26:00 PM I had heard about the devastation from Lindsay Laurie, with whom I've been exchanging comments on the Soup for a couple of years now... Something fierce, and you've captured it well... You might check out Lindsay's writes, Sigrid. He's quite the yarn-spinner; real salt-of-the-earth stuff, with 'O'Henry-esque' twists at the end to keep us in stitches. Thanks, Gershon Login to Reply Sigrid Ermine Date: 8/18/2020 7:50:00 PM True. Thank you, Gershon. Have had one or two reads/ exchanges with Laurie. A story of his about a bikie was just a crack up, and I could feel the essence, without at first knowing he was a fellow Roo. Cheers, gorgeous Gershon