woman 2:
the day passes
the sun burning down
I feel inadequate
immobilised
woman 1:
I float feeling the wash of water beneath
arms extended like billabongs
never quite reaching the itchy point
where mosquitos breed
the river is a psalm
singing like a full-throated choir
could my arms
be jabirus
wings in slow beat
coming in to land?
the dog interrupts
my river poems
kisses me
insists I play
she runs in wild circles
to the water’s edge
she is a crazed runner
jumping and turning in the air
dog:
late afternoon
we all go to the river
paddle float sit on the bank
you throw sticks
the big one sinks
you find it
throw it
I run and swim
the stick sinks again
you can’t find it either
break me another
throw it
we are sitting on the river bank
I smell the rain
we go back
I shelter
under the car
Notes
The artwork in this book (and in this post) is by Jeanné Brown whose painting is also on the front cover. In 2010 three of us, two women and a dog went camping into a fairly wild part of far north Queensland. We swam in the river, missed our previous dog and sat and relaxed. A few days in it began to rain and one night we woke to find the car sitting silently in the river. We started to find our way out but before long we were bogged. We managed to get out of the bog with some local help, but we were stranded between rising rivers. And so we sat for three days first in the rain, then in the sun, until we were able to drive out along with several others.
It was quite an adventure, helped by our beautiful dog, Freya and the birds and insects who visited us. Living with/in nature on the border between worlds is quite marvellous. We treasured this quiet time of absorbing all that was around us.
Extracted from Limen, published by Spinifex Press, 2013.
(Meet Mago Contributor) Susan Hawthrone