Travelling brought me memories of another time

There were times when I was young that I thought I knew quite a lot about this country of mine. While I was  travelling in this great country I often picked up hitch hikers for company.
On one occasion I was privileged to give an aboriginal a lift, he was not signalling for a lift but I needed the company. This "gentleman" and I don't use the description lightly' opened my eyes, he taught how to hear and see the things that surrounded me.
He explained how we can see, how we can hear. We must take the time, get out of the car, don't look through the screen, listen more carefully, look because you care.
Then we will learn what's really there.
This prompted another of my poems called "Zac's Noise".

ZAC'S NOISE

I was driving just driving along

Dreaming, just looking for myself

Then there was this guy, just standing by the road

 I picked him up, gave him a lift

His name was Zac

Sort of brown , really black

A natural guy was this guy Zac

Natural yet more real nature

What was his nature ,was it real

I’d not heard of his nature before

Was it new, how could I find his nature

He said it was everywhere

It was in the air and on the ground

He said don’t you hear it, hear that sound

What sound I said, its silent that’s all I hear

 You heard it he said ,and he said he was glad

From him I’d heard the sound

The sound of nature fresh and clean

The sounds of nature, such a special sound

I’d taken the time to hear and  to feel the sound

And oh yes it was all around

If we study it right we’ll find its special

When do it right we’ll know how to hear

Then we hear we’ll learn to see

Yes then we learn what nature is

We see and touch and smell the air

He had taught me about his life

To take of nature what’s free to have

To find the true things

Make them ours

We can have them all the time

All we need do is to take the time

Stephen W  .  T  . Read  2009


Zac was a play write by the way, the year about 1977.