James Martin Devaney Poems
- 1. Dark Road
I will be your stay
When the feet falter.
I will be your stay
When the tears blind.
... - 2. Winter Westerlies
Leaning against the wind across the paddock ways
comes Dan home with forward stoop like a man bent and old,
clashes the door in haste as one pursued: 'By Christ, it's cold!'
and crooks his fingers to the blaze.
... - 3. A Dedication
Because I went the lone ways
Among the tall trees,
Because I loved the blue days,
The bird melodies,
... - 4. Dirrawan The Song-maker
Dirrawan went into the bush to spear waat,
but he forgot about waat the red wallaby.
he thought about dirridirri the small bird and deereeree the wagtail
he thought about wonning the lightning and tumberumba the thunder.
... - 5. The Bunyip
Oh, came you up by the place of dread
(west red, and the moon low down)
where no winds blow and the birds have fled
and the gum stands dead and its arms gleam white,
... - 6. The Frog Pool
Week after week it shrank and shrank
as the fierce drought fiend drank and drank,
till on the bone-dry bed revealed
the mud peeled;
... - 7. Outlines
The tufted gums along the rise
Stand black against the evening skies.
And in the red west sombreing
As daylight dies,
...
