Thursday, April 6, 2017

Island of Songs--By Neil Creighton--Australia

Island of Songs

Fraser Island sweetly sings
from serpentine streams so clear,
so unclouded and untouched
they could be water or air.

Music murmurs in mangroves,
cobalt blue of upland lake,
banksia grove, pandanas palm
and forests of coastal she-oak.

It's in the eastern wave who sings
as she washes from her sand
the tracks of 4 wheel drives
that deeply scour the land.

Even though tomorrow
the traffic will resume,
following the tide always sings
her lyrical, cleansing tune.

Yes, all day long strange music
ripples or crashes in the sea,
and high in towering treetops
come songs of exquisite beauty. 

Fraser Island is in sub-tropical Queensland, Australia. It is the largest sand island in the world and stunningly beautiful. Its eastern beach, facing the Pacific, is also its road. I try to capture its beauty using the symbol of music.

Neil Creighton is an Australian poet with a passion for social justice, a love of people and the natural world. His work as a teacher of Drama and English made him intensely aware of how opportunity is so unequally proportioned. His recent publications include Prosopisia, Poetry Quarterly, Praxis Online Mag, Silver Birch Press, Social Justice Poetry, Whispers  and "Verse-Virtual, where he is a contributing editor. He blogs at windofflowers.blogspot.com.au   

8 comments:

  1. Very good Australian Neil, good writing and I am happy to
    know about this strange music. Thanks for sharing.
    Yancy

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  2. Thanks, Yancy. Always looking for metaphor. Music seemed appropriate for Fraser Island. Amazing place.

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    Replies
    1. Your Welcome Neil. I liked it. Very refreshing scribe.
      Yancy

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    2. Dear Neil,
      As you note in your biographical comment, I think you have succeeded in capturing this tropical paradise thru the medium of poetic symbolism.
      Thank you,
      Michael

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    3. Thanks very much, Michael. Appreciate your support.

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  3. Well-Written piece. Enjoyed reading this.Thanks for sharing, Keith.

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