So far — and yet, like moth to flame: that alien world of drought and indifference; where days are so bleached with light, they're burnt in closed eyes by night.
An abrasive scrubland of parching wind and ultraviolet radiation; A tinderbox of accelerant and scent of phantom smoke. Where fire sired eucalypt, wilt in thermal haze; and browning leaves keep falling, like Autumn's calling.
Out there red-stripe snake and spider eat the Eastern Brown, while ten-foot flying shadows prey on six-foot rat. Out there meat ants strip bodies to bone, while blowflies plague the shade and cicadas sound a siren.
But out there is peace, for people are nowhere. And so like vampire I hide in lair, until haunting ghosts from day I stare. They say Hell is a place on Earth and in that summer for sin beware... the Devil down there.
Summer stories
Iridomyrmex purpureus
I threw a dead kangaroo on an ants nest and heard the sudden sound of rain, but it was not rain. The kangaroo was being swarmed by a black mass of 'meat ants', and they sounded like rain.
Pseudonaja textilis
The 'Eastern Brown snake' is the second-most venomous land snake, responsible for most Australian deaths by snake. I remember circling around one to move it away but I mistakenly walked on the path between a mating pair.
Aquila audax
A huge shadow flew overhead, I looked up but couldn't see anything. I heard barking and turned to see a large 'wedge-tailed eagle' hovering over my dog with talons out.
Macropus giganteus
A large male 'Eastern Grey Kangaroo' started hopping beside my car. They usually flee, but this one rammed my door. I think they resemble man-sized rats when standing upright.
Latrodectus hasselti
Sliding the garage roller door up the wall, I saw small stones floating below it like a hanging nursery mobile. The stones get stuck to the webs of the 'Redback spider'. Their strong webs can also catch small young snakes.
Cyclochila australasiae
This species of 'Australian cicada' is one of the world's loudest insects. As children, my uncle's friends used to keep them as pets to the annoyance of teachers.
Black Summer
In the 2019 drought, we were miles from the nearest fire, but the sky was orange, the trees looked dead and smoke in air, made the fires seem closer.