Louise Crisp

large scale fires … represent a significant and prolonged loss of key resources for nectarivorous birds, mammals and insects. (Clarke 2008: 9)

The eastern pygmy possum

dangles from the stalk-less

cylindrical

yellow

feast:

saw

ban

k

sia

fl

ow

er

s

s

s

Unmapped, the fire lit in ‘82

Burnt east of West Boundary

Tk along Providence Ponds

And a year later escaped

From an adjacent planned burn

To scorch again the same

Banksia which did not bear

To flower for 18 years

Clarke, M. F. (2008) ‘Catering for the needs of fauna in fire management: science or just wishful thinking?’ Wildlife Research 35 (5), 385-94

Louise Crisp’s long poem series Providence Ponds was written with the assistance of an Australia Council New Work Project Grant. She is currently researching and writing a series on endangered Gliders of East Gippsland supported by a VicArts Grant.