Towering red cliffs,
Sheltering, embracing,
Eternal guardian of the river
Ancient River gums
Stand, vigilant sentries
�To the passage of time,
Elegant Pelicans gliding
Gracefully into the dusk,
Cockatoos feeding fledglings,
In hollows high on the cliff,
Swans, water fowl
Cormorants, spoonbills
Sharing the river's bounty.
Fleeting flashes as fish
Leap from the water
Sending circular ripples
Across the still surface.
A deep sonorous siren
Sounds as a paddle steamer
Slowly slides into view,
Engines quietly throbbing.
Small waves chatter and gurgle,
Willows dip slender tendrils,
Sipping nectar from the depths.
Peace washes over the water
Wrapping me in a blanket
Of tranquillity.