LANDED - POETRY

In the top end of the territory

green foliage hurts my eyes

I watch the sun

slip under Timor Sea

marking another cycle of time

Sound and smell of waves

reminds me of crashing surf

of childhood memories

on Southern Ocean

peaceful echo within

I return to the Centre

I love the feeling of distance

nothingness, desert, space –

whatever you want to call it

that is just beyond the edge of town

rather than oppressing me

it blooms like desert rose

planted on earthly stage

a negative impression of

the ocean floor that surrounds

this continent

Flying south

relieves the dense humidity

I step out onto the tarmac

warm, dry air fills my lungs

mind's-eye etched with desert images

captured from cruising altitude

vast landscape in colours I can't describe

it breaks language barriers

this land is on loan

as my home

for now

Wendy Taleo is a learning technologist based at the Alice Springs CDU campus working in the Office of Learning and Teaching in the Learnline team (seems to be a lot of learn in that!) She has recently embarked on her post graduate study of open and distance education. Connect with her via @wentale in the Twitter sphere.