Iluka Poem by Geoffrey Fafard

Iluka
Cold Coffee, Buddha and Pelicans.

Two pelicans sit on a muddy bank
They stare at me knowingly lulling me to a doze
And the book of Buddha in the Himalayas
Falls from a grip gone dead
My hands are cold but it is wonderful to be cold
In this NSW village by the sea
where I laze for a few days
A long way south of my place
Yesterday it rained grey bluesy rain
But today its coastal blue- deeply so
You only have to move a little to meet change
New birds sing new songs jolting memories
The air is thin drier without humidity
And so I can smell things again
The sea, me, all manner of animals,
Maritime, airborne and grounded
My fingers shiver grasping this pen
A small boat comes, growls and is soon gone
Quiet observation of your horizon is uplifting
Old people out walking, early, briskly
Trying to correct years of malpractice
So I laugh, they smile,
I hope its not too late darlings
My glasses fog for the first time in a long time
A cold breeze bites my face and mind
I shiver as time speaks to me of passing years
Because I am slipping even as I walk calmly
Best I stop writing and return to my walking
My coffee is cold anyway
I need to talk to this river and stare back
At the pelicans
And think about the Himalayas
Colder.