The big blue drive.

Big Blue Sky

The big blue sky,

arching over all,

its driving weather

 for travelling south.

A caterpillar-back

winding grey road,

complete with white stripes,

leads us on.

Holiday vehicles on the march: An ant column of humanity.

Impressive, distant, steel-blue 

mountain peaks

 hold up the very edges of the sky.

Central Otago gold covers valley, plain and hill.

Oases of glacial ice-blue rivers and lakes

set like jewellery

 in the dry 

tussock-grass landscape.

This whole Island

seems

enveloped,

comforted

by the 

big blue sky

hemisphere.

Picture from

http://www.lotusexports.co.nz/visitnz.html

The Light and the Dark

Light and Darkness

Opposites.

Light and darkness.

One illuminates and allows

vision to operate.

There is colour, distance perception and depth.

All is revealed in light.

The other shades, covers

hides things.

We have heightened senses

of touch

and hearing.

A different perception takes over.

When in light we are at ease.

We can relax,

knowing all about us.

Beware, for in darkness

we must take care.

Fear can take it's grip...

unless you know that

the jewels and treasures that are to be found there,

can be hunted, mined

discovered.

To tread in the dark

takes courage, persistence and bravery.

Persephone was taken into the darkness,

unwillingly.

The dark beckons

and fools who love the light jump in,

thinking it is simply opposite,

but

it is knowing

that you need

there. 

Are you searching?

The Search

A circle.

 A fire with

family, friends.

Warmth and conversation.

We are seekers.

Seekers of the social.

Lovers of the group.

All searching for the smile.

A curving of lips upward.
Approval.

That crinkle about the eyes

the light that flickers there,

when humour and fun get together.

A song too, can hold people close.

A story, some history.

Someone throws back their head and laughs aloud.

This is home.

Sad day

Sad Day

It is a sad day in the poetry world.

The poet slows and does not write

this night.

Instead he must explain and excuse.

He coughs

and the readers see

he does not deliver this day.

No stanza for the gathered group to

peruse.

Instead this muddle of word and garbledness

"Where is the pentameter?"

he hears the cry

fear is on him now

the pack pursue him

don't say this is nought but a dream...

"nay tis real".

When no rhyme

nor 

clever wit

explode across the page

he feels

the 

scorn and derision 

of the 

people who follow...

the pressure it is too much!

but lo

he turns and sees

a poem has 

been 

strung

out

behind him

all

this 

time.

There,

that grin on his cheeky face.

What hides there?

The mob turns

walking away

they'll get him

on the morrow.

Goal!

Goal

The Wakefield domain is quiet at 6:30pm,

but 20 men,

some old, some young,

amble and shamble out from the clubhouse

onto the pitch.

The trees enclose the space.

It is ours.

We kick the ball about

on the lush green grass,

carefully re-sown since last season,

until it is time to gather together.

There are jokes and jibes,

then it is time for getting serious.

A warm up run;

 with sprints,

then stretches.

The two sides face each other 

and we start.

The ball is passed from one to the other,

intercepted,

headed,

trapped,

kicked

and chased

up and down the pitch.

It slips by

and someone gets it in the net.

Off we go again,

corner,

pass,

pass,

miss.

Attack,

defend,

attack,

The ball is passed to me and 

I flick it on

to a team mate.

He scores.

We start again.

Muscles strain,

we stretch,

and pass,

and kick and run

listen to the calls.

A pass,

I run,

chase

a touch

and...

Goal!

mine

The first of the season.

A good night at football practice.

The Weather Today

The Weather Today

It was clear this morning.

Crisp and clear.

Not strange at all,

for here.

Hills

standing out

in front of the mountains,

their crags and valleys

picked out in shadow

in the morning light.

Do we accept the shadow

or choose to ignore it

and focus 

only

on the light?

I went a different way

this morning.

Maybe it was the weather,

or the light.

I saw the sea

blue and calm,

unrippled,

waiting?

A portent?

Then in the early evening

I pointed out the same scene I had 

viewed this morning.

The light was vivid.

The forest,

the rock,

the colours.

Stunning.

A meteorite,

green

passed overhead

with a light 

of it's own.

Unseen by me 

but noticed nonetheless.

On such a light filled

and interesting

weather

day.

Gold

Gold

There is gold here.

People come to this place.

They like it.

Sunshine,

sand

sky.

The golden light mixes with the greens of the forest

and there is a transformation.

The light is no longer just the light

and the forest is no longer just the forest.

Beautiful

magic.

Long ago people came here for gold.

Digging in the earth and panning in the rivers.

I will head to Arrowtown soon.

With it's famous autumn colours.

Red, green and gold

in the trees.

The richest river in the world

is there

they said.

Miners flocked to the rush.

I go to remember my ancestors

who were part of that

goldrush and to 

celebrate with family.

And this winter 

I'll be on the Gold Coast.

A holiday,

a getaway.

Family time.

For me the gold

is family.

Not the bright yellow metal.

More 

the reflection 

of the 

light

in the faces of the 

people.