Crossing a Continent At Night

Down a runway skybound to cross a continent, see from a window a city fall away with bright beads strung along a coast, then turning inland, clumped townships shrinking to solitary lights sunk far apart into hours of featureless dark. Disconnected from the earth, let the mind paint the blank distances and wander landscapes of Namatjira's hills and ghost gums and photographic stills of outback towns and along railway lines spearing the horizon where a big sun hemorrhages into an evening sky. Then settle back and allow a familiar picture to arise from behind closed eyes of light patched office towers and stacked apartments with tall derricks puncturing the night as it slides by in soundless haste. And way below, playing out on some inner screen, follow stuttering road signs and arteries of red tail lights leading to narrow alleys where, as if funneled into an ear, you hear the sound of sirens being dragged along hot, crowded streets. In time, let the noise abate until faces dissolve and life slurries back into a thick air conditioned hum. Doze a little then try to unpack the images collaged across the hours. Nothing adheres. What had once held together seems to fray and fall apart. Feel a slight unease as the engines begin to throttle back and comence the slow descent. There, bubbled on the horizon, see the glow of city lights drawing in a converging arc of flights like moths. Notes. Namatjira refers to great Australian and First Nation painter, Albert Namatjira (1902 - 1959) famous for capturing central Australian landscape including the iconic Ghost Gum, a species of Eucalyptus tree. His work speaks to a deep spiritual connection to the land, something held by his people for well over 40,000 years. Poem refers to flight across the continent of Australia, East to West, approx. distance 4000 km.