Member-only story
A Walk in the Bush
A Poem of Life and Death
Contemplating Life and Death
Every now and then something happens that makes me contemplate my life, and maybe even think about death. It doesn’t even have to be anything dramatic. This day described in the following poem for instance, when I was just walking in the bush on my property with my dogs and enjoying nature.
Coming across the carcass of a dead steer, however, made me stop and think. It had obviously been dead for some time and I hadn’t even missed it. It made me wonder if I was living alone and passed away, how long would it be before anyone even realised? Especially living on a 40-acre property with no immediate neighbours.
“In the midst of death life persists.” — Mahatma Gandhi
A Walk in the Bush
Today I took my four dogs walking.
They raced ahead as we walked the block.
It took a while to traverse the 40-acre fence line,
then zigzag through the centre.
Past the half-full dam,
through the ironbark trees,
disturbing a few kangaroos
resting quietly in the shade,
sheltering from the midday sun.
