Not in the mind's eye, but nice to just go there, with the dog, daily. Yes, a response, Max.
Doug
On 2012-01-25, at 4:03 AM, Patrick McManus wrote:
> Thanks Max-Lucky ducks
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Poetryetc: poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Max Richards
> Sent: 24 January 2012 23:54
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: snap: the lake isle of ruffey
>
> The Lake Isle of Ruffey
>
> All this time I haven't mentioned
> the tiny island in our little lake!
>
> Indeed it's overlook-able - from
> several hills. Its trees and reedy
>
> banks look just like onshore.
> Too small to feel worth visiting
>
> for a stroll of, say, ten paces,
> or squeeze in nine bean-rows.
>
> The Irish poet never made it
> to his lake isle, except in his
>
> imagination. This one
> figures in the mind's eye scarcely,
>
> let alone the deep heart's core.
> No, all it's good for is ducks
>
> to hatch a clutch remote from night
> predators like the rare fox.
>
> An owl of course well might
> drop in darkly before the brood
>
> has been led by Mother wadd-
> ling down to their tentative
>
> first paddle and even more risks.
> This lake isle no doubt was formed
>
> by the same earth-moving
> machines as made the lake
>
> from the creek valley and raised
> the dam that holds water back
>
> from its old free run all the way down
> through Templestowe to the Yarra.
>
> The signs say No Swimming
> for Humans, and Discouraged
>
> for Dogs. Should yours swim there,
> avoid contact with its wet coat -
>
> stormwater drains feed
> the lake - it's far from pure.
>
> Pure, though, our feelings
> for it, wherever we view
>
> it from, especially its overlooked
> islet unvisited by humans.
>
> What I hear right now's no owl but
> a tawny frogmouth sounding Ommm.
>
> A child might wonder whether,
> should he make it over the water,
>
> wading, then dog-paddling,
> he might be the first to burst
>
> up the bank into the secret
> interior there to shelter
>
> his own islanded self,
> and still get home in time for tea.
>
>
>
> Max Richards, Doncaster Vic
>
Douglas Barbour
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