Bungo Creek

Bungo hit its banks with attitude
when rain deluged the other day
you’d scarce believe the venom
of the spate – water even topped
The Junction Bridge’s rails

and Simpson’s Bridge was almost
washed away or so it seemed – to
disappear beneath a flail of debris
flushed in clearing ranks of rubbish
stashed along Delaney’s Creek

roadside fences wear the signs as
decorated barbed-wire lines of
anarchy – a consequence in levels
stressed to play a-fright with
minds relieved of such a plight

and even Paulus’ Bridge could not
escape arrears – it paid in silted
gooey sludge that sprays a muddy
signature from four-wheel drivers
mute contempt

midst displaced trunks of massive
trees are rows of wild tobacco
weed with leaf effaced downstream
a billion twigs and leaves aligned
display the rampant waters’ line
© 12 October 2010, I. D. Carswell