Black Cockatoos
They flew low
so close to my head
this black, glossy pair
yellow-flecked tails flashing
like air-borne sunflowers
that the beat of feathered wings
fanned my hair
as I looked up, laughing
rejoicing in their shrieks
revelling in their freedom
§ – § – § – § – § – §
Dove Lake
Tasmanian Highlands
In silence by the lake
each to our own thoughts –
enraptured by shifting waters
the mountain’s curving cradle,
fragrant spaces, fresh with scent and colour
rock, earth, trees and native flowers –
our eyes met
unspoken feelings
laid down deep, like the lake.
All this and more
we knew
and carried
like an ancient weathered stone
held in our hands
indestructible
a thing of permanence –
standing in silence
together by the lake.
Thérèse Corfiatis was born and grew up in Hobart. After a spell in Adelaide, she eventually moved back to Tasmania and settled in the beautiful coastal town of Ulverstone. She has worked as a disability support worker, a vocation close to her heart, as her oldest son was diagnosed at a very young age with autism. Therese has been active in the local literary scene in Ulverstone for many years.
TASMANIAN TIMES: Poetry Review – Thérèse Corfiatis’ ‘Breath’.
