Tag Archives: God

Birdsville, Werribee

This morning a bird I could not name spanned a sun I could not tame and on the road the dazzled day turned and turned its winding way. Through chicanes, past milkbars ran the path to work, the time to plan, but I was struck by birds in view on Kookaburra Avenue. And God I’mContinue reading “Birdsville, Werribee”

Ordinary Time

Meanwhile, pluck tomatoesripe from the garden.Watch the quinces shed their fur,turn late-summer-yellow,and burst with promise whilecockatoos eye them off.Check the peaches.See the opening flowers on the lemon tree.Cut the roses, deck the table.Water, plant and wait.Number days and count the joysand trust that tears shall cease.

Advent 21: Neither slumber nor sleep

In a creaking house for family feasting, I satas summer light streamed through leadlight doors andcracks in curtains,fairy lights twinkling on pine tree whileI rocked my youngest, disrupted bythe change of place, his olderbrother’s noise and the stubborn light,and tried to make a darkness conduciveto an eight-month child’s much-needed sleep,and fancied the Fatherkeeping vigil byContinue reading “Advent 21: Neither slumber nor sleep”

Advent 20: and earth shall melt away

…heaven cannot hold him,Nor earth sustain;Heaven and earth shall flee awayWhen he comes to reign…(Christina Rossetti, “In the Bleak Midwinter”) While fires burned, I retreatedto safer, internal climes, denying heat.Discomfort seemed unreasonable,inconvenient that we should be so troubled.Yet world rarely does as it’s told,pointing a finger at us as we point back at it.If worldContinue reading “Advent 20: and earth shall melt away”

Advent 16: At that time I will bring you home

A nomad for much of my days, I confess the urge is strong now to stay put, to secure, to gather and store, to extend the barns for the coming drought. Where luxurious waste gathers in wardrobes and pantries, I long to play the rich fool and leave it be. Yet still the cloud getsContinue reading “Advent 16: At that time I will bring you home”