Frog Whispers and a Chorus of Crickets
Hear that?
Silence… such profound silence I hold my breath
lest I break the spell…
First coffee, on the sunstruck veranda
dappled light as cascading sun trickled through tangled vines…
… below me, on overgrown slopes, chickens ranged far and wide
a pure white peacock drifted gracefully by followed closely
by two fat brown hens…
… a white llama grazed on juicy grass, eyeing me
in a friendly way as he passed
in the treetops crow and kookaburra cackled and laughed
at jokes only they knew…
Watching as the sun slid behind olive-green tree-tops
sky a still pale backdrop behind the verdant canopy
roosters strutted, raising their voices to the vault of heaven
– and I stood in awed silence before a shrine to Mother Earth….
Darkness crept in, in slow moving increments
crows and kookaburras chortle sporadically
silence prevailing between echoes…
– eyes closed for a meditative moment
and I smiled…
such earthy treasures soothed my soul;
A faint blush softly crimsoned the underbellies
of streaky grey clouds, quickly fading to wispy shades of apricot
Venus greeted me as the sky paled blue to grey
shadows clinging deep and dark to the heavy treeline…
… such profound silence I forgot to breathe
suddenly expelling air in a shuddering sigh
of quiet contentment;
The unruffled silence deepened –
frog whispers … chorus of crickets
and the homely popping of wood
as flames danced merrily in the fireplace…
I ate my supper there, sitting on the step
in front of the fireplace
homemade soup…
… I ate it straight from the saucepan
savoring every mouthful;
Hear that?
Silence… such profound silence I hold my breath
lest I break the spell…
*


First Night
I made a bed in front of the fire
so I could lose myself in the toasty warm marmalade glow
wrapped in warmth eyes grew heavy
and I dozed…
Unfamiliar sounds filtered in from the darkness
beyond the windows… took me a sleepy moment
to realize, a horse, snorting noisily
stamping a hoof on the soft ground-
– and though I dragged myself from my fire-warm nest
to peer out into the inky blackness
I saw nothing;
how still it was… how dark
and so blessedly quiet
there were no cars
no late night train
no dogs barking in tandem echo
a few drowsy crickets and the sighing breeze
and me.


First Morning
Kookaburras and Roosters
A lone kookaburra greeted me at 6:45 am
when I ventured from the morning fire
to greet the day beyond the picture window…
pastel sunrise simmered softly
glowing through latticelike branches
a renegade breeze rained leaves
in billowing swirl
skimming across the scuffed wooden floor…
Winter chill swept across my face
as I bid the kookaburra good morning;
Whipbirds echoed
in the still morning
woodsmoke and bush essences mingling
with drifts of nag champa…
… Kooka is a constant companion
watching me as I spill thoughts onto the page
from time to time he swoops to the slanting ground
rummaging through long grass and weeds
iridescent smudges on each wing
bestows color to his many specks and flecks
of off-white and brown
a smattering of greys add charm
to his dapper appearance…
A kingfisher joins Kooka and I-
– a little timid he sits at the far end of the veranda
watching us…
… he outshone Kooka in hues of vivid blue
fading to deep chromatic shades…
two roosters continued to sound-off
– each one crowing with crested pride
from opposite corners of the meadow
… occasionally brown-horse snuffs the ground
blowing nosily through his big soft nose
content to browse on lush nibbles
crowding the creek’s edge.
Kookaburra on the back veranda
rooster bragging at the door
crows calling from sunlit branches
not wanting to be ignored
winter blossoms bright in treetops
in shades of fuchsia flushed…
I feel my soul let go, surrendering
to Nature’s trust….
*


Midday Meditation
Sun-sitting
– wintersun a warm embrace
eyes close as thoughts hover
in soft and tender smiles…
… breasts rise and fall in a sigh
as tranquil ambience infuses the moment
twitter-chitter of unknown birds
soughing breeze, so gentle it brushes my face
in a hushed whisper…
Somewhere not too far away
a crow repeats his 3-ark refrain
ark ark ark… ark ark arrrk
I almost fell asleep-
– but ravenous clouds swallowed the sun whole
stealing my puddled warmth…
… is that what he is doing, that crow – calling in the rain?
Still with that rhythmic 3-ark refrain…
The breeze graduated to Boisterous Wind
heady with bush scents, it scurried fallen leaves
across the veranda floor
settled momentarily
then raced through the tree-tops
all helter-skelter…
12:10 pm… the day grew dark
shadows clung to tree trunks and polished wood alike
the wind pushed open doors closed
chasing itself
through tossing tree- canopy
– darker still for midday
birds fell to silence
except for a rogue rooster
crowing at his own echo…
… a smattering of rain fell, the darkness persisting…
… beclouded by layers of grey
the day still held a measure of tranquil beauty
– varying leaves overlaid in a mantle of greenery
swirled in lively game with the wind…
… from time to time a pipe wind-chime
gonged with tingling resonance
and still that cocky rooster chortled
at his echo, tossed back by the wind…
*


Second Morning
Whip-birds and mist tickle through the canopy of trees
morning overlaid in damp shades of grey
leafy treetops washed fresh by rain add a profusion
of green to the day…
Seems quieter, after the rainy night
kookaburra visits, in waterlogged flight
the farm animals hushed and not in a rush
to leave the cover of their night pen
even the crow a distant echo … ark ark ark…
… so quiet I hear each individual raindrop
dripping off sodden leaves…
The early morning dimmed… lit by a twilight rain-glow…
… and down it came, clattering on tin roof
splattering on a million leaves
puddle-ing on the drenched earth
rivulets form as water makes its merry way
downhill, through weeds and herbs… across dirt tracks
and into the creek…
nature speaks her gratitude;
The rain fell in a silken grey curtain
hazing the treeline and hills beyond…
… the sky a vast expanse of startling white
interspersed with layers of ashy grey
the land took on a deeper hue… bark stained dark
and leaves in breathless array of green to jade…
… thought inducing weather, reflection in each drop of rain-
– other rain-days, different but the same
– gumboots in puddles
-running hand in hand for cover
– kisses from wet lips that tasted of love and coffee…
Such memories tumble in freefall, and having no control
of this deluge of rain-induced reflection, I let
the memories fall
surrendering to the mood of day drenched in grey.

Of Rain and Roosters and Nature’s Song
It had been an indoors kind of day
sojourns on the veranda to watch the rain
a few hens ventured out to inspect the sodden ground
– mist and rain creating echoes of sound…
… I drifted through the hours, content to float in dreams
of yesterdays and tomorrows and might-have-beens
happy to listen to Nature’s song
knowing in my soul this is where I belong…
As darkness enveloped my world
I sat by the fireside, watching as the flames danced
rain fell and from time to time
I heard the snuffle of llama bedded down nearby…
… I almost cried
with contentedness and the thought of leaving
on the morrow…
It took an empty woodbox to send me to bed, but still
I could not sleep… thoughts tumbled in on top of each other
how could I make this a lifestyle, not just a fond memory?
*
Morning dawned to the melody of rain and roosters
the sun briefly shone through the rain,
adding a glorious rain-glow to the start of day…
… soon I would have to go away
retracing my steps to where I belong-
– but in truth, I belong here
or someplace just like it…
surrounded by rain and roosters and nature’s song;
*
As I was transported back to ‘reality’
I fancied that I heard
the wind chime say goodbye to me.
*

Whipbirds in Morning Mist
I feel it so keenly, now I am back from the silence of my rainforest retreat… that unseen pressure of suburban living spaces… pressing in on all four sides.
Horizon close and confining hovers just beyond rooftops and low mountains.
No concept of distance here, everything huddled close-at-hand… no open spaces that lure the soul’s eyes to linger in faraway gaze…
How blessed, at least, to dwell near those low mountains floating in winter mist beyond the rooftops… richly wooded in verdant layers of green… I hear the catbird call out in the still morning… the whipbirds bell-like echo clear and musical in the cold air.
A timid female bush turkey wanders across the lawn, looking for tidbits;
they have adapted to sharing space, roaming the neighborhood, wandering down to the creek… roosting in trees at night…
– they have adapted
why can’t I?
Somewhere a dog barks… a power drill grinds into wood…
Sun and mist and remnant rain cloud
play musical chairs with the morning
a magpie warbles in such honeyed tones I pause in my reflection
to listen to his sweet melody.
*
Yes, I feel that unseen pressure of suburban living spaces
pressing in on all four sides…
Still, how blessed I am to share that space with catbirds and whipbirds
and mist on winter mornings.
*
But I will always remember the silence of that rainforest retreat
where the beauty of Nature is complete.
*
Sharon
2015
*

These thoughts and photographs were written and taken
of my stay at the Rainforest Organic Farmhouse
surrounded by stunning rainforest, bushland
and an abundance of wildlife;
My short stay there soothed my soul and fed my spirit
and I was very reluctant to leave.
Host and owner Janine is a lovely warm woman who has created a place of comfort and welcome, peace and tranquility.
This little book is in appreciation.
*
Sharon Lee Goodhand June 2015
sheleeme@y7mail.com