S 11 -World Trade Centre.
Unholy coincidence?
I awoke disbelieving
to a shattered dawn.
            The ultimate American disaster movie.

Could I possibly go through
the motions of a 'normal' day?
Feeling lucky to be standing
under a hot shower-
            to be standing at all.

Functioning on automatic.
Staggering to work.
Feeling lucky I can.
Feeling grateful that
            it's not in a tower.

As I walk my single flight
of stairs - all to myself,
I think of all those other stairs
winding down/up.
            Stairways to heaven.

My 'work' today
was to be pure pleasure-
a walk in the bush,
            not trapped in an office.

We had the kiss of Spring
on our cheeks,
not the crisp morning warning
            of winter's breath.

A wildflower walk-
wondering at their beauty,
minute and subtle
            and very fragile.

A patch of earth,
casually nondescript.
A blur of grey, sort of green,
            asking (really) to be trampled.

In fact a myriad of species.
Each so complex-not perfect of course.
quite a few hybrids.
            But each one so precious.

Wondering too,
at the skill of our guide.
All that Latin, that minute minutiae.
            How astonishing, how creative the human brain.

So delicate the balance-
poised on the slightest sliver.
Not enough care

            and it will all be obliterated.

Published in The Warrandyte Diary (Australia).