today is the day
(for the moment
at least)
that they say
might bring the creature
to our doorsteps
it will start out cool
then boil up
later on
into searing
looking out the window
the smoky haze
is not too bad
today
though I can still taste
yesterday’s plastic
in the air
and the stench
of burning rubber
mostly
what I notice
making the ground
seem like
a carpet that has come alive
is the flits
and the flights
of a cloud
of small blue butterflies
and we will stay
it has been decided
that
is our plan
stay
in the township
though
we will not seek
to defend
at our door
there are places
to run
to be as safe
as anywhere else is
and we will do our best
to survive
along
with all our neighbours
I will go
to my workplace
in the afternoon
to undertake my regular shift
there are others
whose need
falls in my
domain
so
let us all hold hands
for a moment
even across
the width
of the seas
beyond these burning skies
let us all hold hands
to feel
that we are
in this moment
as one
and together
and to pass
a little love
pass a little thought
pass a little strength
then
turn around
face
whatever comes
with all we have
and
do or die
dears
do or die
______________________________________________________________________________
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Reblogged this on Times and Tides of a Beachwriter and commented:
I have been following Frank Prem’s unique poetry for a while and quite recently read his ‘Devil In The Wind – voices from the 2009 black Saturday bushfires’ , little realising that a worse nightmare was unfolding in Australia. It’s already Saturday in Australia and as we sleep tonight Frank speaks for many towns and people facing fearsome fires.
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Even now, so many years after Black Saturday, my throat closes up when I read Frank’s poetry about /that/ time, about what it felt like to face that beast. And now, after days of watching East Gippsland burn, I hate that it’s happening again. 100 year events aren’t supposed to return a bare ten years later.
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Thanks for your unflagging support, Andrea.
Stay strong and be safe.
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We’re family in a way. You stay safe as well. -hugs-
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and to you, Andrea. Thank you.
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It is heart rending, Frank. I hope you are still okay as I write this today.
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Thank you, Robbie. It has calmed down a little now. A few days respite before we do it all again.
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I reached here via Janet. Across the other side of the world what we see on our tv screens seems almost unreal, but it is clearly very real and very frightening. I hope you and all stay safe and well.
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Thank you Clive.
Nice to meet you.
We seem to have survived today intact. A cool change has blown through. There will be another round in a few days, I think, but for the moment, we’re ok.
Thank you, again.
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Glad to hear you’re ok, Frank, and hopefully it will be over soon. The Big Bash commentators mentioned this morning that there were strong winds in Melbourne: not what you need when there are fires!
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Cheers Clive. Not soon, though, I don’t think.
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Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
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Somehow, despite the dreadful loss of life then, this seems even worse than Black Saturday. Perhaps it’s a feeling of relentlessness, that there seems no sign of it stopping.
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It is much worse.
We’re smarter at not losing lives, but even more helpless to prevent the destruction.
These fires dance through the trees.
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It’s ghastly, as is the inevitable thought that this seems to be very much a pattern.
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Thank you for sharing, Christine.
The air is unbreathable today.
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