National Poetry Week 5-11 September - Jane Baker Book Launch

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National Poetry Week beckons - 5-11 September

There is plenty happening in the world of poetry. Poetry Australia now has over 1500 registered members. Of course there are many more involved in one way or another in creating and supporting poetry.

I shall be attending a book launch on 3 September - Jane Baker of the 'Yass Valley Writers' is about to launch a marvellous collection of poems - The Galled Tree ... which link her deep appreciation of the natural world with words from close observation.

Below is a poem she wrote at the time of the recent drought where the 'galled tree' is mentioned ...

Rain

Despite the best efforts of weathermen
and long absent kookaburras, not to
mention the premonitional processions
of ants in column, we did not believe.

Despite the slow descent of the sky
to a point just above our heads and
single fat drops leaving random muddy
splats on the windscreen we did not believe.

It wasn't when the soft shirr of newborn rain
whispered on the roof that we found faith or
even when the shirr sharpened into audible
hammer drills boring into the solar fired earth.

It was when water coursed down the trunk
of the grey Blakeley's gum revealing rainwear
of pink and ochre, blue, green, rust and butter cream
that we dared to believe and, believing,
to look at each other and grin foolishly.

Jane Baker

Footnote ...details of Blakeley's Gum from Wikipedia ...

Eucalyptus blakelyi, known as the Blakelys Red Gum is a common eucalyptus tree of the tablelands of New South Wales and adjacent areas in Queensland and Victoria. Growing to 10–24 metres (33–79 ft) tall, the trunk is smooth, with shedding scales of bark, revealing varying colours of pink, white and grey.^[1] This species is often a victim of eucalyptus dieback.^[2]