bare feet not recommended

by REBECCA WEYMOUTH

Loch Creek slithers and grooves out the hills
Till the springs, where it plays
We bathe in the sun, with just our togs on
Up to our necks in mud

Then back by blackberries
Careful of cow treasures
Bare feet not recommended
Over the broken branch
Through bracken
Under fence

Such a day, such a home

So when life does creak
I remember this creek
The lilies, the moss and the foam
I remember brave feats
Under roads and up trees

And wish I could do any of it now

But the dust has blown off
Like pollen, like frost
Now I’m happy to watch
New and young

We’ll wash them off
In the same laundry trough
And beg them to stay clean for tea
But really we all know
Best lives bloom and grow
Filthy, scratched, bruised …and free.

Thorpdale Road, Trafalgar South, VIC