A rain song

We’re never happy when it rains
it melts the sugar
but in this case we wait
tasting each cloud
testing its bag of tricks
Will it let down
on lovers and war-makers alike?
where a breeze fluffs hill breast and body
the grass, that ancient
surrounds and mouldy hay
winter vines splayed in fan prayer
for their sugar too
we’ve drunk beyond our understanding
my lips stained with recent sicknesses
ennui and bitterness blend in the cup

We camp by the river
where guys stack no reason but fire
their dancing primal, mesmeric
a lazy token for drink
Cows sound out, knelling their timing
platypus wisdom runs from us
only the kelpie pisses on all surfaces
as if we claim
as the rain holds cold and its scent
cow pats and roo scats melt with ground
the graves there opposite the gate
reclaimed marble and disintegrating
language, memoriam, memento
black cockatoos circle their sweet bad news
raw cussing across the valley
with rain happy tongues

Don’t cry, we’re here
with the dams and ponds
the ducks flight forms
then we’re moving away
to our fences and stanchions
scaffolds that creak with industry
we climb down past the white line
that remembers flowers on the post
We go back to our concrete, our empty skies
curfews, beat boxes, tickets without rain

The dirty platforms are free of all official
terrorisms apart from stations of plastic
looping calls for places
excerpts, rules, fines and fluoro
leaf tremble onto waiting paths
gummed, fragged
filled with guise and ghosting
imprisoned culture and crusted airwaves

Swing and zing o water
how far from rapturous
levels and falls
perhaps a little green
without its pleasant
leave in the greys blues
perhaps mud brown
beaten fair
treat with treasure in the skin
portal and prepare
no longer a cameo
or the real thing
a call to feeling
happy and uncomfortable
cluster and colour
aloud with the soft
Cloud fledder, ache maker
a song origin
a touch
speaks to lips
and cries down


Jill Jones
East Gresford, Wollombi, the Putty Road, freeway, highway, Central
Station
Queens Birthday weekend and after, 11-15 June 2005

_______________________________________________________
Jill Jones

Latest books:
Broken/Open. Available from Salt Publishing
http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smp/1844710416.htm

Where the Sea Burns. Wagtail Series. Picaro Press
PO Box 853, Warners Bay, NSW, 2282. [log in to unmask]

Struggle and radiance: ten commentaries (Wild Honey Press)
http://www.wildhoneypress.com

web site: http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~jpjones
blog1: Ruby Street http://rubystreet.blogspot.com/
blog2: Latitudes http://itudes.blogspot.com/