Monday, 27 June 2005 [10:30 p.m.]:
My Keith –Well I’m back again already. Just wanted to tell you a couple of "Aussie" things. This morning when I drove into the gate at the University there were heaps of rainbow lorikeets making a racket – three gum trees were in flower and the birds were feasting on the nectar – and a lorikeet can’t do a thing without making a screeching comment about it (bet that’s how you feel about me sometimes!).
And then there’s this passage from Chapter 7 of "We of the Never Never":
Two wide-spreading, limpid ponds, the Warloch lay before us, veiled in a glory of golden-flecked heliotrope and purple water-lilies, and floating deep green leaves, with here and there gleaming little seas of water, opening out among the lilies, and standing knee-deep in the margins a rustling fringe of light reeds and giant bulrushes. All round the ponds stood dark groves of pandanus palms, and among and beyond the palms tall grasses and forest trees, with here and there a spreading coolibah festooned from summit to trunk with brilliant crimson strands of mistletoe, and here and there a gaunt dead old giant of the forest, and everywhere above and beyond the timber deep sunny blue and flooding sunshine. Sunny blue reflected, with the gaunt old trees, in the tiny gleaming seas among the lilies, while everywhere upon the floating leaves myriads and myriads of grey and pink ‘galah’ parrots and sulphur-crested cockatoos preened feathers, or rested, sipping at the water – grey and pink verging to heliotrope and snowy white, touched here and there with gold, blending, flower-like, with the golden-flecked glory of the lilies.
For a moment we waited, spell-bound in the brilliant sunshine; then, the dogs running down to the water’s edge, the galahs and cockatoos rose with gorgeous sunrise effect: a floating grey-and-pink cloud, backed by sunlit flashing white. Direct to the forest they floated and, settling there in their myriads, as by a miracle the gaunt, gnarled old giants of the bush all over blossomed with garlands of grey, and pink, and white, and gold.
Goodnight, sweetheart – I don’t know why but whenever I see symbols of our Australian bush I always think of you. Maybe it’s because you loved nature so and were always so keen to explore and experience new things – like the jacaranda trees you grew to love. Love you –
- S.
posted by Susan @ 11:00 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home