race to the ocean
water wins
Recently we took a short holiday in Port Fairy down on the Victorian South West Coast. This was a favourite holiday place for Charlie and Maggie was keen to explore the town as probably the next Afghan Hound to visit the place since 2013.
In the mornings I had to be up early as Maggie expected to go walking. Port Fairy has a unique location as a fishing fleet and tourist town at the mouth of the Moyne River with a long sand dune parallel on the ocean side for the last 3 kilometres to that mouth. A causeway connected Island on the other side of the river is home to a lighthouse and nature reserve that is a Mutton Bird rookery where thousands nest after their return Winter feeding migration from Siberia. They are late this year, in fact none have arrived yet, the worst scenario being they have all died on the flight. Hopefully they are just late however climate change effects from the feeding grounds in Siberia to rest and feed stops down the East Asian Pacific coasts could mean they have all starved on the way.
This haiku is my contribution to Ronovan Writes #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #277 River&Path hit this link to see all the other poetic contributions to Ronovan’s challenge
I love the image left with me from your Haiku, of Maggie trying to race the river to the sea.
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Thanks Sandra. The outward run/walk was fast but the return was a deviation.
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A wonderful haiku Denis and so lovely you’re visiting this beautiful area with Maggie by your side 🤗🐾💖🐾
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Thanks Xenia. This is the place of my early childhood and we get back here every once in a while.
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Your haiku makes me wish I was there!
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Thanks Annette. Sadly without huge engineering innovation this town will be flooded with rising sea levels.A consequence of Global Warming.
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Looks like a peaceful holiday destination. Nice take on the prompt!
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Thanks Magarisa. It is peaceful except for the music festivals and Christmas holidays.
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I enjoy your haiku…I can imagine a feeling of racing with the water flowing alongside a path. Let’s hope the birds are just delayed!
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Thanks Janice. It was a fast walk out but we went into the scene of the last photo on the return
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Beautiful dear Denis, I wish you to have a wonderful summer days. Your haiku as always hits. Thank you, Love, nia
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Thanks for your thoughtful comments Nia.. I spent a lot of Summers here as a child and teenager as I grew up in this area.
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Wonderful to get a glimpse of where you spent time as a youth and still return to. 🙂 So sad to hear the possible tragedy of the Mutton Birds not returning. 😦
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Its funny how the places of ones early life can draw you back. We used to take these birds for granted, this year is extraordinary.
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Good Morning dear Denis, I have heard the fire in your country, this is so sad, I hope and wish you are and your place in safe… Love, nia
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Thanks for your concern Nia. We are lucky as we live in Melbourne beside a bay with kilometres of suburbs to the nearest forest. What is happening now is unprecedented. It is the reality of climate change. These fires are along the East coast between Sydney and Brisbane. Even rain forest is burning. We have also had severe drought for 5 years. We are expecting fires here in our state very soon though.
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Oh dear Denis, this is so bad and so sad, every year it becomes more tragic, when the big men will understand this I wonder! I hope and wish you are in safe and of course rain and rain… God be with your land dear Denis! Blessing and Happiness, Love, nia
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Thanks Nia. We have a serious problem with our government. They are conservative supporters of coal mining and fossil fuel interests and will not act on Climate Change. The people are becoming very angry here this week because these bushfires are serious evidence of climate change.
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Can you tell me who doesn’t have any serious problem with their government! World really changed. I think of this, politicians are not from this planet!!!! We have serious problemS too here, maybe not about climate change but we don’t/can’t trust anything that they make… People die, nature die, animals die, foods and water also… what will remain at the end? so, they can’t be from Earth! I hope human, great minds don’t let to die aynthing… Love, nia
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You are right Nia. The people in Australia are beginning to send direct messages to politicians in many ways. I have joined a political party and can make my messages be listened to more deeply and can also meet politicians and tell them things directly.
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