I:
Driving in from the arid airport
my eyes feast on the vastness of our sky,
the mountain’s grandmother presence,
this river, simple and sinuous in the sun,
arching and rippling under the wind’s fingers.
This place,
this body of water, slipping
my heart back into
home-shaped space.
II:
Friends visit,
washes of conversation
lap and comfort.
Friends hug me home,
bountiful energised bodies of water
slipping my heart back into
home-shaped space.
Gina Mercer is a poet who has taught creative writing and literature in universities and communities for over 25 years. She was editor of the Australian literary magazine, Island, 2006-2010. She has published seven books including four collections of poetry, most recently Handfeeding the Crocodile [Pardalote Press, 2007].