Poems: lime green paddocks and river red gums

In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Rob Walker, who will be taking part in an Adelaide Writers’ Week poetry reading next Tuesday, looks at two well-known and contrasting South Australian and Victorian locations.

Wednesday February 28, 2018

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Yorke Peninsula

Lime green paddocks of barley wave to
edges of cliffs and scalloped bays

landlocked islands of high-vis canola

waving microforests of seagrass in shallows,
glassy sea reflecting a cloudy sky

cursive scribbles of squid ink on jetty planks

crumbling limestone cliffs recycled as
institutes, general stores and hotels

copper bleeding up from magma.

Dawn, Old Echuca Wharf

Curled blank paper
littering the tops
of grey river red gums
unfurls

and it is corellas awaking.
they unquiet
a raucous pushing of the bandwidth
ripping open the blue morning

then in ones and twos peel off
from the mob creaking
squealing a memory of unoiled
steam engines and chaffcutters

a fog rolls tumbles wheels flows
over still brown river,
a two-storeyed fluidity

corellas form their own clouds
broadcast tumultuous joy in all directions
over Moama and Echuca

smearing their sound and light
across two states.

glorious dischords
unzipping a new day.

Rob Walker has published six collections of poetry, the most recent being tropeland, Five Islands Press 2015; Original Clichés, Ginninderra Press 2016, and the Garron Publishing Series 3 chapbook Policies& Procedures, 2016. His short fiction, memoirs and essays have appeared in journals in the US and Australia and on ABC Radio National. He is one of a group of SA poets who will be reading their work at Adelaide Writers’ Week at 5pm on Tuesday, March 6, West Stage, Pioneer Women’s Memorial Gardens, in a session hosted by Peter Goldsworthy.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au.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: lime green paddocks and river red gums</h1>

In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Rob Walker, who will be taking part in an Adelaide Writers’ Week poetry reading next Tuesday, looks at two well-known and contrasting South Australian and Victorian locations.

																		<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/compiled-by-john-miles/" class="author">Compiled by John Miles</a></address>
											
							<h2><a href="#yorke-peninsula" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="yorke-peninsula"><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>Yorke Peninsula</h2>
Lime green paddocks of barley wave to 
edges of cliffs and scalloped bays
landlocked islands of high-vis canola
waving microforests of seagrass in shallows, 
glassy sea reflecting a cloudy sky
cursive scribbles of squid ink on jetty planks
crumbling limestone cliffs recycled as 
institutes, general stores and hotels
copper bleeding up from magma.
<h2><a href="#dawn-old-echuca-wharf" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="dawn-old-echuca-wharf"><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>Dawn, Old Echuca Wharf</h2>
Curled blank paper 
littering the tops 
of grey river red gums 
unfurls
and it is corellas awaking. 
they unquiet 
a raucous pushing of the bandwidth 
ripping open the blue morning
then in ones and twos peel off 
from the mob creaking 
squealing a memory of unoiled 
steam engines and chaffcutters
a fog rolls tumbles wheels flows 
over still brown river, 
a two-storeyed fluidity
corellas form their own clouds 
broadcast tumultuous joy in all directions 
over Moama and Echuca
smearing their sound and light 
across two states.
glorious dischords 
unzipping a new day.
Rob Walker has published six collections of poetry, the most recent being <a href="http://fiveislandspress.com/catalogue/tropeland">tropeland,</a> Five Islands Press 2015; <a href="http://www.ginninderrapress.com.au/store.php?product/page/765/%2A+Rob+Walker+%2F+Original+Cliches">Original Clichés,</a> Ginninderra Press 2016, and the Garron Publishing Series 3 chapbook <a href="https://www.garronpublishing.com/chapbooks">Policies& Procedures,</a> 2016. His short fiction, memoirs and essays have appeared in journals in the US and Australia and on ABC Radio National. He is one of a group of SA poets who will be reading their work at <a href="https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/2018/pdf/Adelaide_Writers_week_2018_guide.pdf">Adelaide Writers’ Week</a> at 5pm on Tuesday, March 6, West Stage, Pioneer Women’s Memorial Gardens, in a session hosted by Peter Goldsworthy.
<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 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.</h5>
 
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Yorke Peninsula

Dawn, Old Echuca Wharf

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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