My eighth November verse this year is a response to the Auburn Poets Challenge #35, which invites all comers to submit a poem using five prescribed words – wing, copper, acorn, string, infinite.
November verse 8: Primary school, North Queensland, 1950s 'The tallest oak was once an acorn.' 'What's an acorn? What's an oak?' Outside the class, rainforest staghorns, frangipani, figs that choke their weaker neighbours, mangrove breathers went unnoticed by our teachers. All things European stood for all things real, and all things good. Like coppers' verbals, MPs' lying, what religions give to youth as infinite eternal truth, these lessons sent the real world flying kite-like, on such distant wings that we could barely hold its string.
Me fail? I fly! 