Late Winter Sunday Reflection

Three houses down
on a morning with snow
I notice while out walking
a kangaroo in the vacant block
where they tore down the last
of the fishing shacks
to build three huddled units

She stands at full height to query
as I take a phone shot to prove
my presence in her moment

And how I wish to hold her
paw in hand with trust
back down the road to the Reserve
close the gate on this suburb
watch her hop and turn a farewell
float the gravity of leap

Wave a palm so close to mine
We could be family

She knows the truth with humans
the hurling want to be
waits for me to pass
delves deep into the long jump
better to leave that flowing symmetry
of tempting feed and boundary

One Easter at another place
marsupial arms reached by the sliding door
hungrily taking hot cross buns
from my children giggling giddy

On entering our lounge I stop to ponder
can we ever be sure we’ve not met before?

Published in The Blue Nib (Eire) Issue 41 April 2020 Editor Denise O’Hagan

The Blue Nib ceased hard copy production at Issue 44 Winter 2020. A dreadful loss to the world of words. Thank you Dave Kavanagh General Editor for keeping the light shining as long as you did.

Unknown's avatar

Published by James Walton

12 thoughts on “Late Winter Sunday Reflection”

  2. A fun to read story. Perhaps she would have let you hold her
    paw in (your) hand but mostly only the ones around a lot of tourists will tame down for that.
    ..

    Like

    Reply

    1. They are not so friendly here as at my old place where they grew up with my children. We had a big group up behind the dam, seemed to happily mix in with a few deer.

      Like

      Reply

  4. A lovely piece! And indeed a very evocative, unforeseen moment.

    We at Poets and Storytellers United have never actually defined what ‘newish’ or ‘recent’ covers, so we’ll have to think on that. For now, let it include last year, since you’re new to this community and it’s such a wonderful poem in so many ways, as well as fitting the prompt. I’m very glad to have read it. (Time restrictions only apply on Wednesdays; on Sundays you can share anything, old or new, including pieces that fit Wednesday prompts.)

    Like

    Reply

  5. Oh this is sweet, a bit like something out of a fairy tale. And like a good fairy tale, I could see the heart of truth beating at it’s center.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment