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February, 2004 ~ Judie Peet ~  This month, A Poetry Garden was a special dedication to a dear friend and talented poet, who was fighting cancer. Sadly, on June 23, 2004, Judie Peet lost the battle. Jude's wonderful poems reflect her interest in palaeontology, her love of birds and and nature, her compassionate heart and delightful sense of humor. Her words touched many people, and she leaves a space that cannot be filled. But still, we hear the echoes... Besides this page, I have a mini-site with photos and more of her poems: Jude's mini-album Here is a duo that Jude and I did: Odes to March Another friend, Mary Sullivan, prepared a wonderful website for Jude: Jude ~ Australian Poet & Conservationist Jude, how we miss you.... but we cherish the joy of knowing you... ~ Lary ~ Inside of me and just below my heart, another heart now beats its tiny drum, and having heard it, even though it's part of me, I realise - am overcome by knowing in a strange clairvoyant way - that she whose heart it is will hear a song that I have never heard. Her drum will play a tune that sounds absurd to me, and wrong. I stand, quite lost to all the world outside and stare unseeing at the doctor's door where with his stethoscope we heard inside my womb. I touch that mound where she's secure for now, and vow to hold this moment dear and think on it through each contentious year! © Copyright Judie Peet Eclipse of the Moon How kind the sun, the earth, the moon to juxtapose for me no finer birthday present for moon-child could there be one hundred and fifty years from now will another watch as I that shadow creep to redly cloak her moon in that rare sky? into that time my spirit flies to save myself a place and I will somehow meet her there the one who wears my face. © Copyright Judie Peet The River Claims Her Own Now clouds hang low and shed their rain from a bruised and swollen sky: the river claims her own again. The plains-folk watch with eyes of pain where their farm land once was dry, now clouds hang low and shed their rain. Every hour is the river's gain, it's no use to wonder why: the river claims her own again. The water creeps, a darkened stain, and the women will not cry; now clouds hang low and shed their rain. The men look grim and show the strain, as they shake their heads and sigh: the river claims her own again. Their levees fail, all built in vain; they must bid their land goodbye. Now clouds hang low and shed their rain, the river claims her own again. © Copyright Judie Peet haiku Jude also wrote lovely haiku and senryu... ten white cockatoos pushing the storm cloud away summer storm - the carpark overflows with rainbows morning garden too silent - a pile of feathers windless chimes - a glint of sunlight striking the right notes afternoon rain the lawn cold and wet - my bare feet shadowed garden - a golden lily captures sunshine on his knees weeding my garden love in my cupboard mouse nest here kitty kitty mountain track slippery with mud you go first © Copyright Judie Peet Diamond Firetail Look on top of all the grasses tiny lights, a flash that passes faster than an eye can blink faster than the brain can think a living jewel, a tiny bird now sits atop the grass he stirred; black waistcoat with diamonds white crimson beak and rump as bright! On his own for just a second - then the flock somehow has beckoned out they fly and then close ranks in the grasses, up the banks. Soft their murmuring as they go their small red tail lights briefly glow then they disappear again Diamond Firetails on the Plain. © Copyright Judie Peet |
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