In this time of personal sorrow and distress, where the rawness of the hurt deters me from deep thinking, I shall once more leave the metaphors to you and stick with the tangible and the visual. Today – The Fences of this World.
THE FENCE AT BOMBO BEACH. I think it is meant to stop people falling over the edge of the cliff.
Some fences stop people falling over the edge of the cliff . Not the one in the poem below. It is one of Australia’s shames and disgraces.
The wire is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1 is the wire for closure
2 is the coiled barbed wire
3 is the protection for 1 and 2
4 is the razor wire on the top of 3
5 is the high fenceThe higher fence
Which stops birds coming inside
Stops thoughts and imagination
Which stops the world outside
The higher fence which becomes
The border between me and AustraliaAngel Boujbiha 2002
One day. maybe, Angel will see the other fences of Australia. The post n rail, and the solar powered electric fence we have here for critters. Maybe Angel will see the places of radical beauty which have fences only to keep us from falling over. I have a fence here. Old wooden posts with green mossy stuff growing on them and wire, 5 strands of wire strung between them. Its to keep the horses and the cattle from coming a’visiting too closely as they are prone to do, given a slight chance.
Up in Ulmarra on the Clarence River, there are fine post ‘n rail fences and there is also a LEVEE. I am rather impressed by levees. The Ulmarra Levee stopped the Mighty Clarence from truly trashing us in 2009 when the floods came. Lets see what else I can find about FENCES.
I love the ancient boundary-fence,
That mouldering chock-and-log.
When I go ride the boundary
I let the old horse jog
And take his pleasure in and out
Where the sandalwood grows dense,
And tender pines clasp hands across
The log that tops the fence.
AUSTRALIAN FENCES.
![]() THE WHITE PICKET FENCE AT BILAMBIL |
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AN ARMIDALE FENCE. |
ON THE ROAD FROM BILAMBIL TO TUMBULGUM ON THE TWEED RIVER. |
ARMIDALE GRAVE FENCE |
![]() AN ARMIDALE HOUSE FENCE |
You might have to be Aussie or Irish or a combination to take a fancy to this one. I’m not sure why it charms me but it does. Written by John O’Brien.