27 July, 2017

'Childmemory' by Michael Dugan

 'David's Willow Tree' by Susan Clark

The following poem, Childmemory, by Michael Dugan is filled with beautiful memories and imagery. Its environmental theme is poignant and powerful. At the time of writing, this poem is not available anywhere else on the web and is almost impossible to find in published books. However, I was able to discover that it was published in Poetry Australia 32: Preface to the Seventies (1970, p. 35). I am sharing the poem because it is too wonderful to be forgotten forever. I encourage teachers to use this poem in their classrooms to explore the concepts of past, present and preservation. All credit goes to the brilliant Michael Dugan who composed this work. The year in which Dugan wrote this poem is unknown.

Down past Macartney’s farm
beyond a wilderness of waist high thistles,
willow trees caressed the creek.
We would come to the willows
along a secret path of our own making,
to leap into their feathered greenness
and, clutching handfuls of whiplike branches,
would swing, eyes closed, above the stream,
rejoicing in motion,
with the bitter taste of willow leaves in our mouths.
Later we tied a rope to the highest branch,
and riding its arc like a pendulum,
would pause at the point of timelessness; to drop,
breaking the pool’s glass surface
into ever widening sculptured circles.
One summer night I crept silent to the willows
and swung for hours, feeling the cool sweet air on my face,
watching stars reflecting in the pool,
like trolls’ eyes staring from the black water.

Returning fifteen years later,
factories pour waste into the creek,
no one remembers willow trees.

Michael Gray Dugan (1947-2006) was an Australian poet, children's writer and editor. Born in the outskirts of Melbourne, Dugan recalled writing stories and poems as a child of eight or nine. In 1968, he first published 'Crosscurrents' magazine from the Melbourne suburb of Canterbury. He also worked as poetry editor of 'Overland' magazine and served as vice-president of the Victorian Fellowship of Australian Writers. In the 1980s, he was a consultant and an editor for the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs. Along with his works in children's literature, Dugan had an extensive background in Australian history. He wrote numerous historical textbooks published by Macmillan Education Australia. There are over 200 book titles in Dugan's name, including factual books, fictional stories and poetry anthologies. Other publishers he wrote for include Oxford, Jacaranda, Penguin, and Hodder & Stoughton.

03 February, 2017

Lifou is magical...

Santal Bay, Lifou

I've just come back from Lifou in New Caledonia and it was amazing. The colour of the water around the island, which ranged from bright aqua to deep turquoise, was absolutely stunning (my camera just couldn't capture these vibrant hues). And there were butterflies everywhere...they were in the air all around you. It was like something out of a dream. 

 Butterfly at Easo, Lifou

The morning began with snorkelling in Jinek Bay. The coral was still in great condition despite the increase in tourism that Lifou has experienced in recent years. The local people have been very conscientious about looking after their marine environment, which is why I needed to purchase a pass to enter the water. After that, I visited Our Lady of Lourdes chapel at the top of the hill. Butterflies filled the skies and I took some video footage of this entrancing phenomenon. Back in the village, I ate fresh papaya and mango before heading off to see the Saint Francois Xavier village church.

 Easo village church, Lifou

Next to the church, I happened upon a sign that described a visit to a fresh water pool in a cave for $10. I wasn't sure what to expect as I descended a steep, rocky path bulging with buttress roots. At the bottom of the path, it was slippery and dark. I hadn't prepared and was wearing Havaiana thongs--it was a bit touch and go and I had to take it easy.

 Path to Cave at Easo, Lifou

There was a cave at the very bottom and other tourists were jumping into the deep, dark pool of water so I decided to give it a go. It was very invigorating and brought back childhood memories of jumping into freshwater pools in Australia. When it got a bit crowded down there, I walked back to Santal Bay and snorkelled near the wharf where I swam with a turtle for a while as it ate seaweed and intermittently came up for breaths of air. It was a fascinating sight to behold.

 Jinek Bay, Lifou

It was such a magical day. Time has not passed so slowly for me in years and it was all a bit surreal, like some kind of spiritual awakening. There is so much beauty in this world and we really need to nuture and protect it.