Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Australia's Big Things (revision)

Paul Bunyip whipped in on a whistling hurricane,cut through the sweat of our Brisbane December,
rained on our dumplings and sent us all hurrying
back from the yard where we steam them in summer.

We were panting in hammocks behind the verandah,
wringing hot water drops out of the air.
We'd battered the passionfruit back from the windows,
whacked the white ants with a fizzling whirr.

Then Bunyip whooped in on his whinnying hurricane.
Raindrops and hailstones blew straight through the cockatoos,
nailed them to gumtrees.  They shrieked something horrible,
screech upon scream til the airwaves were chockers.

The rain stopped, and up sprouted apples and pineapples,
mangoes, bananas as tall as the sky
in Batlow and Berri, in Bowen and Yerrinbool,
Gympie, Bulimba, Coff's Harbour, Mackay.


(original)

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