Water Drops of the Universe
by Charmaine Papertalk Green
An Ode to ‘Twi / Water Drops’ by Jim Everett-Puralia Meenamatta.
Guest-edited by Mykaela Saunders, the Odes series invites six First Nations poets to write an Ode to another’s poem.
Water Drops
Water drops can be caught
If we put out our hand
Or we can open our mouths
And capture water drops just
To taste the cloud nectar
Water drops of summer rain
On a hot day will have us
Dancing and laughing when the
Water drops softly hit our skin
And bring feelings of joy and relief
Water drops kiss the earth
Sending messages of love
Talking to the wildflowers
Comforting them for the
Journey towards the surface
To follow the sun’s sky journey
Water drops hitting a tin roof
Making music that does not
Need to come from a manmade
Musical instrument or a radio
Bringing family and childhood memories
Dark Water
Dark waters holding deep spaces
Holding stories of a deep culture
Of when the land was soft and
Creation began to travel across
And through the centuries into
The times now when we watch
The white cockatoo at Ellendale Pool
Sitting on the high rock face ledge
Rarely landing on the water’s lid of
Deep spaces holding dark waters
Reeds standing like spears protecting
River line of dark deep waters of culture
The moonlight reflects back into the sky
When the dark water talks to the Milky Way
And the sun warms the cliff face throwing
Different shades of light and colour like
A remarkable artist working on their canvas
A tourist sits in their campervan enchanted
Away from the urban sprawl and dirty sky
While the Yamaji stands and offers sand
To the dark deep waters holding stories
Of their deep culture and connection
That which the coloniser struggles
To comprehend how such a continuing
Powerful connection can exist
Moon
A silvery moon on a very dark night
Casts silver moon beam shades
Making one seem so small in the
Earth corner of the universe searching
For feelings, emotions, thoughts, and a
Loved one passing as a shooting star of hope
Whilst the moon and tide play games
And dance the gravity and water waltz
Sun
Floating water creeps in from the Indian Ocean
Settles on country before the sun drinks it
Sometimes floating water makes a statement
High above like delicious white fairy floss that
Evokes impossible dreams of sitting on a cloud
Peering back down below at life moving fast
And the sunset fairy floss turns to pink as if
The clouds blush for a little while aware
That many all over are staring at sky beauty
Whipping out their cameras to capture this
Before the sun’s daily cycle of entering the sea
To swim in the home of floating water resting
Then awakening the next day to shake dew drops on
Spider webs hanging on fences like crystal chandeliers
Lasting a moment before sun becomes thirsty
And floating water quenches the sun to become
Ready for a new cycle and a new day to make
Country and sky work together to celebrate life
Born in Eradu, Charmaine Papertalk Green is a proud Wajarri, Badimaya and Wilunyu woman of the Yamaji Nation Western Australia .A visual artist, author, poet and storyteller, she shares her cultural knowledge in many different spheres. Charmaine has written five books, won several awards including the prestigious Australian Literary Society Gold Medal 2020 , and her poetry is studied as part of primary and school curriculum.