Old Man Gum Tree
24th August 2023 (Updated 12th March 2026)

Old Man Gum Tree,
what do you know,
is it the winter and wet,
summer sun bringing warmth,
the joys of spring,
or the autumn blow.

Is it the insects and birds,
possums befouled,
animals in a hierarchy of nature,
who live through you,
and to whom you are cowed.

…or more recently is it the people,
walking by your base,
they bring smoke and pollution,
tricks and collusion,
they make you wonder in this world,
if you still have a place.

Do you know me Old Man,
remember my childhood,
riding past you probably at pace,
that was long ago (for me).

Can you see the lines that have developed since,
the stress, the living, the aging,
yes, for in me, as you,
time,
is now etched in my face.

Inspiration: walking with my mother past an old gum tree,
in the park behind the family home where I grew up..

Gum Tree,
Napier Park,
Melbourne