Manly

‘Twas the Queen's Birthday public holiday,
The warmest day in June for many a year,
When record numbers set out
To seek their places in the sun.
Onto the Manly Ferry did we hop,
Skipping across the Harbour, past
The Opera House and sailing boats,
Past the sun-drenched villas of Point Piper,
Across the waters ‘tween the Heads.

Onto the seaside suburb
Did we land en masse,
Descending upon it
Like an invading army.
Battalions of sun-seekers
And fun-seekers,
Marching down The Corso,
Heading for the beach.

Ah! The ocean! The sight of it –
A sweeping vista of azure,
A plane of horizontal layers:
Sea on surf on sand on grass,
Punctuated by vertical columns
Of the tall Norfolk pines,
Rhythmically placed,
Keeping a stately tempo
Along the panorama
That is Manly Beach.

And you did astound me with your courage,
Braving traffic on your wobbly wheels;
Along the cobbly footpaths did we glide
Stumbling over bits of twigs,
Avoiding strangers’ ankles, you and I.
The light I spied shining in your eyes,
Was bright and wondrous,
With watts more than sufficient
To keep me heated
For the rest of winter.

Oysters Kilpatrick, garlic prawns,
Baby octopi, barbequed piquant,
Did we pick and savour
At the hour ‘tween lunch and tea.
You indulged me with your laughter,
Your words I devoured by the pound,
Got punch-drunk on your gaze,
Inebriated by the scent
Behind your ears.

On the ferry back from Manly,
You placed your head upon my shoulders,
We watched the sun go down behind the city.
Much too soon for such a glorious day,
Much too early for the warmest day in June!
As if to stop the day from coming to an end,
We linger, the last to disembark.

All too soon the sun is gone.
But its rays I see are captured, caught
In your locks of golden blonde;
Its warmth I feel a-radiating from
Your skin, your smile, your whole;
Its essence I know is safely stored
In the wonderful being of you –
For you are that single shining star
That occupies my empty firmament.
Oh, what I would give or do
To earn that seat of Mercury,
And orbit around you for all eternity.

'Twas the Queen's Birthday public holiday,
The warmest day in June for many a year,
Just before the winter solstice:
A brief respite from the cold, short days,
A little trip to Manly shared with you,
Was all it took to open up for me
A whole new universe.