I Could Walk Forever Beside the Yarra
I could walk forever beside the Yarra –
the river that runs upside down
Fish hide beneath its murkiness
Kept safe from heron that abound
I greet a willowy walker
His labbie sniffs, then trots along
Halts when a Liverpool accent –
shouts, strong after three decades on
I make way for the rush of bikes
That plough along the dusty path
Worn bare by the surge in people –
freed from the jail of Covid’s wrath
Submerged in the depths of the park
Relief! Traffic noise abated
Silence pierced only by bird tweets
Walkers talk arrives belated.
The breeze wafting off the river –
rustles the leaves in the tow'ring gum trees
Trees that have watched for a hundred years –
over water, burbling with ease.
I embrace the gifts of nature
Breathe the essence of Earth and say –
I’m so grateful to be alive
On this sunny autumnal day.
Cecile Ravell 2021
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