Poem: When the last bird sang
Books & Poetry

Adelaide visual artist and “occasional poet” Julia Wakefield considers the fragility of the natural environment and humans’ connection to it in these two Poet’s Corner contributions.
When the last bird sang
When the last tree fell
they sent out a memo:
use plastic pencils.
When the last wave broke
they told their foreign clients
to ship goods by truck.
When the last bird sang
they listened in awe – then
posted a podcast.
The Human Condition
The pounding waves
are the Earth’s heartbeat
The wind that roars in my ears
is the Earth’s breath
The sand running through my hands
is the Earth’s flesh
The rain beating my face
is the Earth’s tears
The fuel in my tank
is the Earth’s blood

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The chrome of my car
is the Earth’s guts
The rock it was wrenched from
is the Earth’s bones
When I wade through the surf
my heart sings with the rhythm
of natural order.
When I sit in my car
my head throbs with the weight
of human folly.
Julia Wakefield was born and brought up in England by Australian parents, bounced back and forth across the world for three decades, and finally settled in Adelaide in 2001. She has had poems published in several Friendly Street anthologies and the Melbourne literary magazine “Page Seventeen”. She is a member of the Bindii Japanese Poetry Forms Group, and Ochre Coast Poets, and is an occasional presenter on Radio Adelaide.
Readers’ original and unpublished poems up to 30 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.
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