Blue skies say little
Every stone hot to touch
Whole body itchy
North wind blows hotly
There's a smoky dusty smell
Bush fires are close by
Trees stir weeping leaves
They too fear the nearing fire
But say not a word
Our stock is nervous
I search the sky for rain clouds
But see no respite
Smoke cloud approaches
I start spraying the main house
The horses panic
Fire crackles far off
All vessels filled with water
Jim Brough's place alight
Come on you rain clouds
Just where in the name are you?
My veins throb with fear
It is hard to see much
At least the homestead is safe
The first drops now fall
I settle the stock
At last the rain's bleeding down
From the wounded sky
Image found at www.whatsonxiamen.com
Note: Wildfires are called Bushfires in Australia. Native Eucalypyt (Gum) trees can often recover from being burnt and will sprout new growth after a few weeks although coniferous and deciduous rarely do.
that is a strong image of the bushfire you've painted here
ReplyDeletewell-penned on wildfires :)
ReplyDeleteThe feeling of the orange reaper coming closer and closer is tangible... I'm glad the rain came in the end.
ReplyDeleteOne does heave a sigh of relief at the end of the poem...what a harrowing experience... And poor Jim Brough.
ReplyDeleteSuch a powerful image of the wildfires.
ReplyDeleteI love how the pared back style of this echoes the crackles of burnt leaves...Blue skies can indeed say little of what happens underneath
ReplyDeleteyou build the heat and tension brilliantly and then there is the final offering of bleeding relief
ReplyDeleteYou really build tension as the poem moves on. I can almost hear that fire crackling & experience a sense of relief when at last the rain falls...and the stock is settled!
ReplyDeleteSomething I've never witnessed and I'm not sure I want to! You painted a really vivid scene here OE.
ReplyDeletepearl like imagery.
ReplyDeletelovely mood set gives us pleasant joy.
it can get out of hands so easily.
ReplyDeleteThat dread of the oncoming bushfire comes alive in your words. And at the same time,, there is a sort of detachment as well, since there seems to be no respite. Just like in life and living.
ReplyDeleteI really liked it.
-HA
this verse is so intense
ReplyDeleteTrees stir weeping leaves
They too fear the nearing fire
But say not a word
Thanks for sharing this stirring poem; have a good Sunday
much love...
These fires are so destructive here especially on the west coast....the ending is pure magic Robin...'At last the rain's bleeding down
ReplyDeleteFrom the wounded sky'....wounds sometimes man-made.
So well written, Robin. I could envision the entire scene, the nervous horses, the crackle of the flames.......am glad your homestead is safe but sad for Jim Brough and his family.
ReplyDeleteTerrifying in imagery with the unsettled stock and every stone hot. You catch the terror of fire well.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the fear one would feel in that situation...you captured it really well!
ReplyDeleteYour rhythm and percussive choice of words work so well together here. Tension to the last.
ReplyDeleteYour last phrase really grabs me. I get your idea that the sky is somehow not coming to the rescue as hero, but is also in pain. I want to read it again.
Oh! I didn't even think about it all being Haiku. Brilliant.
ReplyDelete"My veins throb with fear" being kin with horses and trees, and eventually leading to that brilliant last Haiku. WOW!
ReplyDeleteWildfires here - the west coast has them at certain times of the year. Horrible things. This poem brings to mind the image of the orange reaper which will now always come to mind when I hear of one occurring. The senryu at the end is just the icing on the cake of this exciting poem.
ReplyDeletei like the sparse style you used in the poem, it builds up the tension.
ReplyDeleteover here, we are facing a haze problem, when smoke and ashes are blown over from fires deliberately set in sumatra and kalimantan in slash and burn agricultural practices. :(
Bush fires can be really scary. I hope whoever and whatever was subjected to such tortures survived.
ReplyDeletePhew!!! Saved. A Lot of tension and the release is the rainfall
ReplyDeleteYou have expressed the anguish of being at the mercy of fire and water, so eloquently here ... while, painting the frenetic scene with intense vibrancy.
ReplyDeleteGreat imagery to describe such a disaster, the bushfire! I really felt this tension of coming closer a non controlling wilderness!
ReplyDeletepowerful story.
ReplyDelete