Poems: night walk & fusion

Books & Poetry

This week’s poets corner features two poems about trees as both subject and synergy from contributor Span Hanna.

Wednesday November 23, 2016 Comments

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night walk

two gums proud and tall
before the side street cave mouth
a vignette
of how the city once appeared

keep walking on and look ahead
see how the new trees seem to crouch

the wind now springing up
may be a warning
but for that moment
the trees stand up against it

we burrow in fear
then we live here

fusion

the trees have got nowhere to go
just up and down or to the side
by keeping still they grow

the birds are always off in flight
they cover miles but always know
there’ll be a branch to spend the night

the bees collect what they can find
like birds in flight they spread away
like trees close to the ground they stay

trees take what comes and what birds bring
bees pollinating everything
together an ecology of mind

Span Hanna is a former South Australian who has been living in Victoria since 2001. He is the editor of an English-language fortnightly publication (Modern Asian), provided free to the Asian community in Victoria. He worked as a teacher for more than 20 years, and lived in China for four years.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.

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<h1>Poems: night walk & fusion</h1>

<p><p>This week’s poets corner features two poems about trees as both subject and synergy from contributor Span Hanna.</p>
</p>
																		<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/compiled-by-john-miles/" class="author">Compiled by John Miles</a></address>
											
							<h2><a href="#night-walk" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="night-walk"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>night walk</strong></h2>
<p>two gums proud and tall<br />
before the side street cave mouth<br />
a vignette<br />
of how the city once appeared</p>
<p>keep walking on and look ahead<br />
see how the new trees seem to crouch</p>
<p>the wind now springing up<br />
may be a warning<br />
but for that moment<br />
the trees stand up against it</p>
<p>we burrow in fear<br />
then we live here</p>
<h2><a href="#fusion" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="fusion"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>fusion</strong></h2>
<p>the trees have got nowhere to go<br />
just up and down or to the side<br />
by keeping still they grow</p>
<p>the birds are always off in flight<br />
they cover miles but always know<br />
there’ll be a branch to spend the night</p>
<p>the bees collect what they can find<br />
like birds in flight they spread away<br />
like trees close to the ground they stay</p>
<p>trees take what comes and what birds bring<br />
bees pollinating everything<br />
together an ecology of mind</p>
<p><em>Span Hanna is a former South Australian who has been living in Victoria since 2001. He is the editor of an English-language fortnightly publication (Modern Asian), provided free to the Asian community in Victoria. He worked as a teacher for more than 20 years, and lived in China for four years.</em></p>
<h5><a href="#readers-original-and-unpublished-poems-of-up-to-40-lines-can-be-emailed-with-postal-address-to-poetscornersolsticemedia-com-au-submissions-should-be-in-the-body-of-the-email-not-as-attac" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="readers-original-and-unpublished-poems-of-up-to-40-lines-can-be-emailed-with-postal-address-to-poetscornersolsticemedia-com-au-submissions-should-be-in-the-body-of-the-email-not-as-attac"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to <a href="mailto:poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au">poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au</a>. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.</h5>
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