Wattle Walk September 1 –
National Wattle Day

On my morning wattle walk,
a single golden blossom
mid-air suspended…

To Mother wattle attached
by spun gossamer thread,
it endured for three days
the wafting winds and spring showers.

Golden wattle.
Planted with ceremony
at the National Botanic Gardens
Canberra, to celebrate
our 1988 bicentenary.
Featured as delicate embroidery,
exquisite sprays of gold and green
on gowns from our
reigning Queen’s Coronation
to her Australian visits.
Her famous ’54 Wattle dress
forever enshrined in Dargie’s
portrait of our ‘Wattle Queen’.

Viewed from earth below,
above our floral emblem trees
hung heavy with fragrant blossoms,
this golden orb
a tiny sun
in the azure bright sky.

Radiant reminder of
our inner Child
ever seeking to be
in eternal wholeness,
undivided united

floating free…

echoing
Eric Thake’s surreal salvation
ascension image
of yellow whorled flowers.
hovering in space.

Junette Schoell was born and raised in the Barossa Valley. Following graduation from teachers’ college and university, she began her teaching career on Kangaroo Island, where she also started to write her poetry. Further teaching positions in Adelaide were followed by her move to Melbourne, where over the years her family, and accreditation for and work in pastoral service and counselling, have been major factors in her life. ‘Circling’, an illustrated, memoir collection of Junette’s poetry, was published at the end of last year.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.