Digging To Australia Poem by Stevie Taite

Digging To Australia

Rating: 3.5


My dad has always been a terrible tease.
When I was small,
small enough for a lap not to notice, and small enough to think of things in a simple way, he sold me a tease as a truth....

'Did you know
that
If you
dig
and keep digging,
eventually
you get to Australia? '

'Where Uncle Philips lives? ' I asked.
I remembered the pictures....
The Sun looked a warmer shade of yellow
in Australia. Warmth that made me imagine
sandpits and
ice-cream and
Paddling pools and
grass between wet toes.
It reminded me of
staying out playing, really late, and
smiling sleepily in my bed, whilst the Sun tried hard to bore through my curtains,
on its way down, behind the houses.

These were good things to remember.
I felt let down by the turn in the weather
and the need for a coat that got in the way of play!
It hadn't, of-course
stopped me enjoying
the crunch
of the leafy carpet
the trees had kindly lent.
Their colours
were warmer than
the bite of the air on my ears.
How I missed the gentle kisses of the Sun......

'How long would it take? '
He was not specific with his answer, and he also said that in Australia, everyone was upside down.

'Isn't that a bit awkward and how do they not fall off? '
He said they didn't realise, as a thing called gravity kept them on the ground. I took it as read, although I hoped gravity was sticky enough and wasn't exactly sure how that could work!

He lifted me to the floor and I followed him to the front door. He was never allowed to leave for work until I got my kiss! It was my rule!

Naturally, as any small child would, who does not yet know about the true shape of the Earth, and
the fire at its molten core,
and all the rock
and all the miles,
and fully willing to risk
gravity,
I fetched my red spade
with the wooden handle
and made a start....

Mum was unhappy
with the hole in her lawn
She told me
that my father
was a terrible tease!
When she explained just the beginnings of how big the Earth truly was,
I cried.
She put the soil back,
and I cried some more.
Then she hugged me.
She also said that she
would be having words
with daddy,
when he got in from work.

Nowadays, I wish I could magically make that tale a reality. I wish it were
that
easy! !
Why?
Because
Lisa!
With a world made so small
by technology
She has found her way
into my heart
through the spirit carried in her words.

I am in wonder at how love could grow so definitely and defiantly
all the way, there and back, from Australia!

I want to dig my way to her,
tomorrow,
with my red spade
with the Wooden handle.


You see, I miss her!
Our souls swim together in electromagnet waves.
This is comfort, and I don't mean to sound ungrateful.
But, just as my story started with me, tucked up on my dads lap, and at around mid point, received the gentle squeeze of a loving mummy,
I long to give my Lisa a big fat hug! !

I want to
Link my arm through hers
and walk under the same sky.
Share a bottle
Have a laughing battle
Listen to her talking sense, and nonsense
And of corse,
get up to no good!

One day Lisa, we will meet. I don't believe in heaven and I am not sure I would get a ticket anyway. So it has to be before we pop our clogs! Ok?

X x x x. X x x x x

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Kelvin Owusu 10 July 2013

i remember watching the loony tunes and them digging to china made me want to dig to Africa. a wonderful story

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Ruby Honeytip 03 July 2013

I will just chant Stevie Taite...Stevie Taite....Stevie Taite.....really loud and with tears in my eyes instead of leaving a comment..ok; -) I love you heaps....Roobs xxxxxxxxx

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Valerie Dohren 18 June 2013

What a lovely story Stevie. I too remember being told as a child about digging to Australia. With today's technology it is just a couple of clicks away. Really enjoyed reading this - good work. There are some great sparks of imagination in there too.

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S.zaynab Kamoonpuri 13 June 2013

Ends touchingly but i was hookd to d end readin dis adorable freeverse narrative epic! Kudos, n yes truth is a tease.

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