green

it was green

when i looked out the window

malcolm muggeridge said he'd

spent his whole life looking out windows

well so have i

the hill scratchy and green with occidental turf

and rabbits gorsing around on it and

a straggling fenceline downhill posts like pale

grey mexicans under a slattern sky

and no sombreros - sunglasses'd be

more use in australia even the pines

stand up brave against the pissweak sleet

that tries to dull the ausglow but the khaki

bush on the next hill over is unmarred

except for some steel roofs - blind eyes trying

to reflect the sky i've always made a point

of staring at the bush for hours on end you'd

never know the way i drive so quick

round its bitumen radius never getting close enough

to smell the leaves and see

just how thin the dirt is you could drive off

any native placename in this country

and get the same effect

but make sure you've got water in the boot

a camp stool a torch a few things

to remind you

burke

and wills