Thursday, 10 September 2015

Mark Scrivener Poetry Blog No 82 Coastal Drought


COASTAL DROUGHT

On the north coast of NSW sometimes it can get rather dry in the spring as the weeks go by without rain. One such period inspired this poem. Of course, Australia is a land of droughts and they get far worse inland. The poem also makes the point that despite the amazing growth of modern technology we are still basically dependent on nature and what the ancient called the four elements- earth, water, air and fire. All these are points I made in an earlier poem Longing for Rain. This poem is a second bite at the apple but I think it does approach the subject in a rather different way.




COASTAL DROUGHT

Sun of spring is cruel without
rain sustaining growth's renewal.
Wisps of white cloud hold no promise;
sunburnt hilltops bare harsh brown.
Leaves show drooping; some are shed.
Grasses parch now: yellow, dead.
Blue sky means but lasting dry.

How welcome now would be dark cloud
weeping water on the dust.
How sweet would be the sudden storm
with drenching sheets
of grey rain sweeping down
upon this baked and cracking earth.

And so it is that here we see,
despite our proud technology,
extracted from the realm of stone,
that we are still of greater world,
that we still breathe with living need
for grace from over us,
for blessing from above.

O, shifting kingdoms of the clouds,
we are filled with longing now.
O, waters of the sky
bring your blessing to the ground,
fall upon us from on high.

Oh, relieving life,
oh, revitalizing,

lulling, falling, cooling, flowing,
come again
angels of the waters,
cloud-winged with rain!

No comments:

Post a Comment