Topic Tags:
0 Comments

Bellbirds

Leon Trainor

Jul 01 2010

0 mins

In a forest of spotted gum


other birds may interrupt

the air between eucalypts, perch

like an afterthought on a branch,

we never see bellbirds. They come

to us as pure sound: a light ting!

in front, to the left, behind

and to the right; they loop around

like Fire Music, bewildering

we who dwell aground. Stand still. Wait.

No nightingale in a dark wood

sang as they, who articulate

all the thoughts of the forest mind

that Kendall never understood.

Comments

Join the Conversation

Already a member?

What to read next

  • Letters: Authentic Art and the Disgrace of Wilgie Mia

    Madam: Archbishop Fisher (July-August 2024) does not resist the attacks on his church by the political, social or scientific atheists and those who insist on not being told what to do.

    Aug 29 2024

    6 mins

  • Aboriginal Culture is Young, Not Ancient

    To claim Aborigines have the world's oldest continuous culture is to misunderstand the meaning of culture, which continuously changes over time and location. For a culture not to change over time would be a reproach and certainly not a cause for celebration, for it would indicate that there had been no capacity to adapt. Clearly this has not been the case

    Aug 20 2024

    23 mins

  • Pennies for the Shark

    A friend and longtime supporter of Quadrant, Clive James sent us a poem in 2010, which we published in our December issue. Like the Taronga Park Aquarium he recalls in its 'mocked-up sandstone cave' it's not to be forgotten

    Aug 16 2024

    2 mins