Mist slowly rising from the water
Hanging in space and time
Blanketing the surface of a dark - unknown world
encroaching on the rocky banks
Grasses and low bushes reflecting through in the weak sunlight
shining orbs of moisture on their tips
The chill is real and sharp
Held in the rocks and absorbed by dark ground
Slowly dissipating to the approaching warmth
The day warming slowly along the Tyenna river
Fallen trees reflecting in the water downstream
Waiting for the day to come
High above on gnarled branches eagles watch for movement
flashes of silver below
Ferns hanging down thickly over rocky outcrops
Hues of green and brown painted on the ground
Covering the banks and hidden spaces
Morning calm and stillness along the waterway
Platypus dreaming on a cold creek morning
Movement near the bank
Ripples on glass
Circles extending out and disappearing
Bubbles floating up amongst the grasses
Shadows seen briefly
Movement ever so slight on the edge
Sunlight slowly burning off the mists of the night
Reflecting as diamonds on the waters surface
Warming sandstone slabs and broken granite
Providing respite from the grasp of darkness
Small animals return to greet the day
Shadows and movement again from the bank
Leading out languidly into the flow
A silver brown gleam as slick fur breaks the surface momentarily
Shimmering movement gliding across the flat greyness
A dark shape growing longer - larger
Slow motion dancing
A head and soft beak appear
A tail following
Moving quietly through the cold liquid
And then dissolving again below
Then reappearing further down stream
Silent as before
Slowly edging to the deep recesses under the bank
Diving quietly several times
Nuzzling into the soft mud on the bank
Then surfacing
shaking from side to side as breakfast is consumed
On the banks sounds amongst the leaves,
movement as well - sounds of the bush creatures greeting the day
birds singing in the morning light and warmth
Songs welcoming the approaching morn
Brightening the cold creek below
The shadow and shape in the water is now gone
A quiet flick of the tail and the water returns to calm
The platypus is gone, back to the warmth of the nest
Waiting to resume a tour of the river again in the still afternoon
Visiting the creek in the soft afternoon light
If we are lucky we may catch sight of the river phantom again
. . .
Memories of a platypus sighting in the early morning on the Tyenna river at Mount Field National Park in 2023.
Dr Geoff Wilmshurst spent 40 years as a professional teacher in disability education. He now spends his time travelling , writing and painting, and enjoying life with his wife Lorraine. He lives in the Blue Mountains in NSW, and finds inspiration for his work in its environment and that of similar places such as Tasmania and New Zealand. He hopes through art and poetry to connect with others, to make a positive difference in their lives, and to share the experience of what it means to be human and part of the natural world.
