Tag Archives: Memories

One

DSC00085

Every part of this Land is sacred to the people I hold close to my heart,

Every single gum leaf, coastal cliff, mountain valley, and desert,

Every vapour of eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree and fire.

Every taste of mountain devil and callistemon on my lips sweet desire.

Every single gum tree carries the memories of the ancestors of this land,

Every blood spill, every fear is what I now have on my hands.

For everyone,

Is one.

© Astarté Earthwise 2011

DSC00066

Water Memories

542457_10151002605192975_1407653870_n

 

As the mist rises from the valleys around me I breathe in the moisture in the air – Water droplets, mist modules of memories.

Water not only holds our reflections, but our memories too.

Mist transports us on our emotions.

Today I am reminded of the Western Journey towards death, the little deaths and the big deaths that touch us all.

The mists of time and mornings wash over us cleansing and refreshing giving us strength for a new day.

 

485839_10151002603102975_808388458_n318094_10151002603287975_841516446_n

Packing Morning Moments

Gumboots skidding on the ice coated grass as I traverse the paddocks, two loaves of wholemeal bread, in my hands as I head for the maternity ward where the Cows are moving slowly but enthusiastically as they swagger up the hill towards me. They will be birthing as the days unfold this month, we have lost one already the first born, didn’t make it. They eat the bread greedily as I hang over the gate to feed them, all these salivating mouths and large wet noses pushing forward to get the next slice. As the sun pushes up from the horizon more ice forms on the ground, as I head for home the frost glistens in the sun like sparkling crystals, jewels dazzling all around me, the morning light delights me as I breathe deeply the coldness into my lungs, I am gathering my strength as each day passes, time to start packing, and I will pack these beautiful morning moments with me, into the precious memories I take with me from this beautiful farm by the river.

Cows

Gently peeling back the warmth and comfort of my doona, I sit up , shake my mane, bend down put socks on my feet and stumble towards the back door in the dark, the last slither of the waning moon has just risen over the horizon in the east, and I step into my gumboots and another day on the farm. It’s been a restless night with a mother cow’s crying waking me up all night long. My empathic heart heads in the direction of her painful cries that end with a heartfelt sob, she is so very upset, I need to find her baby……..

The sun casts its first shadows as I head up the hill from the river, wow it’s taken me so much time to reunite this pair that the sun has caught my back, I’m pretty exhausted already and I gather some of the sun’s energy, say a prayer to the energy of Uri to bathe me in strength to get to the top of the hill.

I get to my desk, my partner is awake and says, “What the hell was all that commotion” I smile and tell him it was just a mother desperate to be reunited with her child.

I’ve been up and down through a herd of cows all with new babies in the dark, that I’ve only known a few months, to a lower paddock with the new bull, where I started a stampede.

I’ve been trapped and penned in by an over affectionate very large cow, who I consoled when her baby died 3 weeks ago, now she wants to play rough with me, and head-butts me with affection which nearly throws me to the ground. I’m a little scared as she is getting rougher, and I see another cow and calf approaching, I think, now I’m in double trouble, I look up to see its Nellie and Andy, and she steps in front of this cow and gives me safe passage, I’m touched, and I thank her for stepping in.

I’ve walked a few miles this morning!. Its 6.20 am and now my job starts I’m over 2 hours behind before my day starts…..bloody cows!

Here is a photo I took of Andy on Sunday, he was exactly a week old