Airborne Adventuress

maps of the explorers
my favourite lesson in primary school
journeying with little fingers
tracing the red line
sailing ,island hopping with captain cook
discovering the komodo dragons
hearing the toms tom drums of the cannibals
who ate my great great uncle
in the New Hebrides



"How To Serve Humanity"

i used to dream of sailing in a little boat
close to the coast  line
like matthew flinders did with his cat trim
my cat would be called geoffrey
how did flinders find fresh drinking water at the beaches
he stopped at?
i still don't know

sister celestine told us the explorers
use to give the aborigines  oversalted corn beef sandwiches
so that they would be  forced to lead the explorers
 to their secret waterholes or die of thirst
a small group of pigtailed little girls in pinnies GASPED
i thought my mother should know about this
she smiled " sister celestine is irish, dear! "





i wonder how long it would take me
to get to broome
in a clapped out red van sans air con
packed with water and oranges
or  even by camel ride




every symphony and concerto
i can whistle i suppose
plus reciting
every one of the thousand poems
i have written...except
i can't remember any of them


if i hit the overland trail
upside -  i don't need my love to keep me warm
downside - death by scorching heat
camel bite or didgeridoo music





nah - i will get captain cook to fly me this time!