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Deborah Bishenden- Found

Debra Bishenden

Moments in time come and go

Majestically the tidal river flows

The Fitzroy River stamps its mark

Soul of Rockhampton the regions heart

 

Heritage buildings sandstone sculptured

Historical streetscapes unique and cultured

Coolibah trees with tall spreading crowns

Overhang the boardwalk where tourists abound

 

A wet season Capricornia would remember

Impacted this mighty river late December

Cyclonic tempestuous rain spelt disaster

Could the iconic catchment run any faster

 

The alluvium river bank began washing away

Torrents of water eroding deposits of clay

Fed by the Dawson and Mackenzie Rivers too

Tributaries and streams surging through

 

Twenty metres tall this grand native stood

Hard strong and durable termite resistant wood

Sing Waltzing Matilda remember the tree

Aboriginal ancestors fished with the leaves

 

How did it go unnoticed struck from the bank

Broken limbs and bough distorted as it sank

Currents churned and gurgled tearing trunk apart

Smooth barked white branches created abstract art

 

The voyage continued for the fractured tree

It landed on North Keppel to be found by me

Left a footprint on the sand this driftwood by the shore

Touched by Kanomi spirit dead wood no more