escaping the claustrophobia
of the Pine forest
poison leaks into the headwaters
whirlies in dry country
the old forest shrinks
to a wildlife corridor
Ngarigo initiation site:
full colour tourist poster
at Bombala
Grayling – unseen fish
adversely affected by catchment
modification
tiny NPWS office in main street
as if surrounded
by madmen with chainsaws
they come down from the hills
in their old age
to live on the warm coast
the trees sway inside of them
when they talk
they have no other story
but brought by the wind
they don’t know what else to do
story, tell me a story
they say silently to each other
staring at the empty ocean
unable to divulge
the trees they carry within
nor when the trees fade
they die