Let’s go hiking man, I need to go hiking
he said to me. I suddenly agreed thinking
that everyone needs to get outta town, sometimes.
So we sped down the road out out out to
wilsons prom where we once as schoolchildren
went, he directed: left, right, straight, stop! Sending
me there to find mountains, coast and forest.
We’re going hiking man, we’re going camping
he said to me. We pitched tent, then on our way left
to mt. oberon.
up up up past a little girl who screamed
“it’s worth it!”
She was right; the sight stopped
short our breath and we were atop
a wobbly mountain in awe of sapphire islands from above.
We feasted in the dark tent and drank red wine
and wombats arrived,
uninvited.
Sleeping was fine, except
for scratching scratching
against our little pop-up home and suddenly I cry
that everyone needs to get outta town, sometimes.
Bright early morning fresh air and nothing
beats it and we knew that our time would come:
to return home by nightfall.
But let’s hike first!
Eucalypt paradise, but bushfires had also had their way;
he remarked that their leafless bony branches
were like dying fingers reaching for god
but the rainforest soon came our way,
granting us relief from the southern sun.
Deep into the bush we ventured,
past sleeping thickets of fern and ground while
our feet wandered in robotic fashion,
uphill and down. We ran
along the long boardwalk, dashing
above a world of lizards,
tadpoles, fish and so on, and finally!
So fatigued,
we hit a beach of pure coast and
sunrays pierce our gaze
and god’s good grace all there who can deny.
We turn around, coastline receding and
memories already dying.
And now we’re going home,
listening to lou reed, rain falls crazy and
I’m going 100,
leaving wombats, snakes, tents and sapphire islands behind and
I suddenly smile
that everyone needs to get outta town, sometimes.
