|
| |
The Platypus
The creek was the color
of weak tea, a bronze brew
that filtered light to bathe
the bottom in the soft glow
of an autumn morning.
Even after a long summer,
the water was still high
up the tufted banks
with deep pools plummeting
to a dark mystery under
the overhang of trees.
At first glance I thought it was
a rat that set a wake
upon the still. But it was
too big with a tail as thick
as a hand, paddle feet
and a head wearing
a shiny bill. A platypus !
I mouthed in a silent yell,
as its unmistakable shape
made course across
the water only to dive
and drag its wake down
into a bubble trail
towards some hidden hole
and out of sight.
To glimpse it in the wild
was like seeing an apparition
of the sacred,
something made and forged
in the distant dreamtime
of this ancient land - strange,
almost alien, surfacing
to draw breath in the now
before sinking back
into the timeless burrow
of its own myth.
Platypus - Background Information.
The platypus is a shy, unique semi aquatic, egg laying mammal inhabiting streams and rivers in eastern Australia.
It has many distinct features, the most striking being a duck-like bill, broad tail and webbed feet. An iconic Australian animal, it has deep significance to First Nation people and is an important part of their mythology and culture.
Copyright ©
Paul Willason
|
|