sulphur crusts

In my tree

the cockatoos

never the diplomat

arrive right on dawn

and again at dusk.

They are wheeling white flags

trusting their voices.

Flying in from the escarpment

they warn, “Iraq, Iraq, Iraq…”

but then when settled, “talk, talk, talk…”

They preach these things

so loud and long

and the only missiles

projected are disarmed

by chemical warfare

sponsored by Lever and Kitchen.

But I observe

their yellow streak

and that sulphur crusted

landscape that disturbs my sleep.

February 2003

Published in anthology Poets Against War Australia, part of a global protest of over 12,000 poems sparked by Sam Hammill, presented to John Howard on 5 March 2003 as a protest against Australia’s involvement in the proposed Iraq war. 119 Australian poets represented in the anthology, published online at the Poets Union website www.poetsunion.com.

Photo. by author