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From: Vol.07 N.02 – Writing in the Pause

leaning in

by Yvonne Deering

where what we call our block

abuts the land along the river

I am weeding out invasive grasses

leaving wallaby grass fine-waving

saltbush ruby-berried speargrass

spice-smelling cassinia

kneeling

recent-rain soft soil

I’m dragging weeds out roots and

all my fingers driving into dirt

nails fill with grit as

earth is giving

I am giving time to

learning

earth-scent ant-scent deeper

leaning in to see the slater

earthworm caterpillar

coloured as an artless

celebration

as hands roughen

clay and stone

I’m leaning in

to hope

to hear

earth healing

as my fingers blister

bits of bark down falling

crested shrike-tit feeding

grey shrike-thrushes shy

come closer closer

pausing

listening

earth is speaking

earth is asking something of us

I am hearing in the noiselessness

the lack of out-abouting boating

lack of roadnoise comings goings

clustering gatherings

all things slowing

still

down on my knees

I’m feeling fibrous root

moist mallow-tangle

touching seeing earthstar fungi

wing of phasma frogmouth feather

ground

connecting

Published: October 2020
Yvonne Deering

lives in Central Victoria. She has been a student of Anthropology, English Literature, Education, Art & Design, and Writing & Editing. She has worked as a secretary, secondary teacher, tertiary teacher, cleaner, dishwasher and waitress (in that order). Her writing draws largely on Nature and Place.

An Australian and international
journal of ecopoetry and ecopoetics.

Plumwood Mountain Journal is created on the unceded lands of the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to elders past, present and future. We also acknowledge all traditional custodians of the lands this journal reaches.

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