Evening in the Dial Ranges

The evening wavers silently
behind Mt Gnomon
then slowly descends
leisurely blurring
the range’s
undulating slopes

bringing with its
early breezes
faintest scents
of eucalypt,
bracken fern and heath,
bouncing their colours
playfully around –
olive, dark-green,
light-pink and cream

as I slowly amble along
guided by the last
streaming slivers
of chalk-white light
savouring the company
of my bush block gums

my footsteps
carefully tracing
maps drawn
by many summers’
dried leaves and twigs

I raise my glass
of ruby-red merlot
to the quiet murmurs
of blackwood and wattle

a toast to the end
of another
memorable day
laden with its own
special meanings –
and mine.

Leon van der Linde was born in Zambia. After 10 equally inspiring years in Tasmania, he now lives with his family on a small farm near the rural locality of Yarrowyck on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, and works as a psychologist in nearby Armidale. ‘Yallaroo is a jewel and I have found home…’

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.