Woman and Boab

27 September 2013

Another poem from the ‘Planting the Seed’ writing sessions held in the Darwin botanic gardens, with thanks to Helen Hansen. Helen was one of four writers who were artists in residence for the Northern Territory Wildlife Park in 2013. http://www.territorywildlifepark.com.au/artist_inpark/index.shtml

Read more of her poems in ‘Wild Words’ — an anthology produced as a result of the wildlife park residency.

Woman and Boab

What happens when a woman walks up a Boab,

touches it with the palm of her hand,

turns her head

and presses her ear to its grotesque trunk?

What happens when she stands back just a little

to look above;

seeing a sporadic splatter of compound leaves

dotting strange spastic limbs?

With no sign of flower or fruit yet

her shadow shades a measure of its mighty shaft

as inspiration rises like the sun behind them both.

What happens to her?

Does she feel something welling inside,

that gives truth to this moment?

Does she write poetic words

that no-one else has said or thought?

Does she think of its Latin name:

Adansonia gregor -

or wonder for whom it’s so-called?

Does she wonder its age?

That the sap mixed with water quenches the thirst,

that its fibrous wood makes good twine and nets?

Does she ponder the upside-down legend?

Does she ponder a prison?

Helen Hansen©2013