Spring Racing Carnival

The Melbourne Cup, the race that stops a nation, is over again for another year. I missed out on the festivities because I was waiting for the Telstra contractor to come and fix my internet connection. We don’t have that many social occasions here and I was a bit down because I had to miss the luncheon.I didn’t even watch the race on television because I had forgotten that the rest of the country was on daylight savings and that the race was an hour earlier than I expected. Another horse has become a legend. Three Melbourne Cup wins. Not even Phar Lap did that.However, I won third prize in the local sweep AND the dear contractor arrived to fix my satellite connection. I now can play around the world again. But I do miss Melbourne in spring. It was always a special place at that time. Unfortunately this poor little fellow never made it past this stage but he was too beautiful not to display, wasn't he?


Melbourne in Spring. © 2003

I miss Melbourne in spring time,
morning mists clinging
to branches of elm and plane trees,
luminescent leaves,
rivalling the office girls’
bright finery.

The distant distinctive rattle
as trams cross junctions,
the malty smell from the brewery
floating across the Yarra,
carried on frosty air,
exciting taste buds.

Dancing daffodils in buckets
direct from produce market,
street flower vendors
inciting frivolity after
dormant drudgery
of winter months.

I miss my spring.