He said

This is rock country

he said

I thought

this is rock country

sky country

water country

deep time ever present

etched on the land

the seasons, millennia of wind

the raging creeks during the wet

the hidden meanings of ancient paintings on the overhangs

made by passer-by’s

like the secret code of a dream

trails of stars embraced by the dark night

it’s star country

I say

Kakadu NP.  2nd July 2024

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the Kakadu national park lands, the Bininj and the Mungguy and its leaders past and present. Sovereignty has never been ceded. Like millions of Australians I accept the Uluru Statement of the Heart and support the Voice.