Books & Poetry

Wednesday, Oct 26, 2016

Poem: Leaving Africa

Books & Poetry

In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Roslyn Ross shares a further poem on departures and impending homecomings, after many years away.

Compiled by John Miles

Wednesday October 26, 2016

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Leaving Africa

The jacarandas are in flower

as the blossoms fall purple,

small deaths, sighing at

the side of open suitcases,

 

coming to rest in the dust of

gathering memories, waiting

to be packed along with the

myriad possessions; dregs

 

of life and tree, scattered in

that song of inevitable ending,

where what was, can be no

more and what is, calls, in

 

soulful whisper, reminding

all is impermanent, nothing

lasts, or can endure, beyond

its allotted time and for the

 

expatriate, there will always

be a moment to go home, just

as the tree sheds its beauty,

making way for something

 

new, and for that which is

destined to come after –

fated to the turn of the wheel

of life, the eternal cycle,

 

slowly spinning in silence,

unseen, revolutions of days

and minutes, dropping into

the past, as the now rises

 

in gentle roll, to the top of

consciousness, holding for

a brief reality, impressed

as template of our being;

 

so we begin and move to

our created end, which

has always been written

even if we did not know it.

 

Roslyn Ross has recently returned to Adelaide, particularly the Adelaide Hills, after spending three decades living around the world, mostly in Africa and India, but also in Europe, North America and the UK. As well, time was spent living and working around Australia. She is a former journalist, who has also worked as a freelance manuscript editor. She has written poetry from childhood, and had work published in a number of anthologies, mainly in the US but also recently in Australia. She began fiction writing about twenty years ago and has completed five novels, and a work of non-fiction based on her four years in Angola during the civil war. Current projects include a non-fiction work about tracing her Greek great-grandfather, a biography of her mother, a book on spirituality, and a sixth novel. More about Roslyn and her poetry and work can be found on her blog at:

https://rosross.wordpress.com/author/rosross/

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.