I didn't know what to expect on this, my first visit to Kinglake since the devastating Black Saturday fires that incinerated 42 residents and 500 homes there in February last year...
Bonne Chance Kinglake
The new white line beckons.
It seems, too white somehow -
the glossy bitumen, too black.
The steep road
winds interminably.
The sun is smiling,
But what blows me away
are the trees -
Acres of tall gums
gowned in epicormic green.
Defiant survivors
of February's maelstom.
They remind me of the Lombardies
I loved so as a child -
tall and graceful
and golder than gold.
As we near the township
I notice new life
has budded from blackened blocks.
Brand new homes
(some nearly finished)
large and Lego-like
(and ugly most of them).
Here and there,
a twenties weather-board
holds its ground.
A moving testament
to chance's indiscrimination
and man's resilience (or luck?).
Suddenly, from out of nowhere
the palest rainbow
arcs across the sky.
I stop the car
and marvel
at this translucent symbol
of life and hope.
Bonne chance, Kinglake!
A devastating and tragic tempest of an event graced with a rainbow of hope. This is full of breathtakingly beautiful lines; 'gowned in epicormic green' is gorgeous, and I just love the alliterative touch. A masterly poem. :)
This is wonderful...especially your wonderful way of optimism in fine makes this poem another gem..Great work Allie.
Again another poem filled with life and energy. it really is amazing the way in which you keep providing the reader with extremely readable stuff, while keeping you usual poetic identity intact. .... (hope you are doing good Allie!!, i havent been to PF much in last couple of weeks either, love shan)
love this visually transforming poem beginning with stark black and white through grey and gold and finally softening and ending with a pastel rainbow of hope...!!
Artfully presented Alison with picturesque descriptions of of what was and what can be built on once more. I particularly liked is the second stanza which begins with"what blows me away are the trees" as Australian gum trees are defiant survivors of this sun burnt country of ours. The rainbow the symbol of hope is a fitting finish for this tribute of new beginnings.
Wonderful! Don't you love those precious, inspiring moments when...amidst the scars of yesterday's holocaust... we see a rainbow, 'this translucent symbol of life and hope.'
You remember what things were like before (and ugly most of them). I see you comparing what is to what was and you prefer what was. :). Rebirth is good.
Always Grand! Always a pleasure to visit your pages. Dorothy A Poet Who Loves To Sing
Symbolically nature provides us with all the hope we ever need. You have captured this moment with beauty.
You brought the scene to life with your poetry, but reminded us of reality in brackets. Lovely piece.
You see the life in Kinglake and this great tribute to the bygone catastrophe, Alison you gave a Bon chance to our souls too,travel there,thanks a lot!
A heartfelt write on Kinglake at it emerges from the devastating fires .....
Kingslake emerging from fire devesastion,through your lyrical tribute, will now stay as cleanly new in our minds as the lego-type houses they have to make do with for now - - a wonderful visit with your senstive guidance has unfolded what true survival can mean. May God bless the efforts of all.
I love the way you describe the tragic destruction with all its capricious pathways, and then use the appearance of a chance rainbow to symbolize life and hope.