Bali Parlays

Perhaps I should forego the news

Too much hype and trenchant views…

We try to keep on even keel

But this new bumpy ride is real;

 

Take Bali, that idyllic isle

Known and loved for its warm smile.

At 3 a.m. much lies at stake

As fear grips statesmen who awake

 

On the brink of war, (mistake?)

With two sad deaths in Polish State

Is Peace in Europe wafer-thin?

When will Common Sense wade in?

 

Bi-lateral pow-wows soon take place

The Common Good - still in the race;

We tiptoe, teeter, hold our breath:

War brings only loss and death!

 

Danger over? Are we sure?

Just what was NATO set up for?

We ponder on this latest drama

Hoping to avoid more trauma …

(c) Poet in the Woods 2022

Mount Agung - Bali

Mount Agung growls in seismic shock
Thick billowing smoke around the clock
Bali trembles, airport closed;
Stranded in 'Paradise' are those

Who came to flee the world's unrest
Now caught in turmoil like the rest
An Exclusion Zone has been defined
People flee - Fate is unkind.

Last activity in Sixty-Three
For many a harsh memory
100,000 now displaced
Wrinkles form on Bali's face.

As the magma forms a bubbling tide
Volcanic ash coats mountainside
With the warning raised to Level Four
A big eruption lies in store!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

Bali - a Last Look Back ...

A last day under Bali skies
Lost in dreams and small bird cries
We watch them swooping through the leaves
Their feathers ruffled by the breeze.

This remote location and resort
Far from Ubud's Royal Court
Affords its guests peace and repose
And living meditation flows.

Hindu gods observe the pool
Impassive, playful, sometimes cruel
Old customs and new trends astound
Spirituality - in the round.

Small paradise on timeless land
By Drake the Buccaneer once scanned
Vibrant, lush and steeped in lore
A curiosity to explore.

Though pockets of this world survive
Hotels encroach on southern side;
While for those who work the land today
Poverty is never far away ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

Out of time in Ubud - Bali

Rice fields clearly in our view
Five fruit platter - mosaic new
A cool breeze tempers beating sun
Time is elastic, raw and fun.

With the tropics we're in tune
A soporific Bali afternoon
Lulled by blue ginger's fragrant wit
Green lemongrass and turmeric.

Strelitzia, strident by the pool
Leftover guardians of Dutch rule
Clean towels, the sound of paths being swept
Into Eden we have stepped …

© Poet in the woods 2015

Meandering round Ubud - Bali

Ubud - where Bali's heart resides
Shrine offerings observed on all sides
Amazing carvings in grey stone
A vast palace where you're not alone.

Hordes of tourists - Japanese
Under the frangipani trees
Fringed parasols of gold and red
The sound of birdsong overhead.

Europeans and those of western race
In this mystic world seem out of place
Harmony in this heat denied
The Balinese merge and step aside.

Stone flags, cracked, hide sewer flow
A world we're glad we do not know
A few smart shops and well known names
But the market's vibrancy remains.

Taxi drivers crowd the lane
Pretty masseuses do the same
But overall the pace is slow
Save farting bikes that come and go.

Victim now of urban sprawl
The traffic and the fumes appal
Home stays by hotels superseded
As air conditioning is needed.

Ubud has a friendly face
Though local monkeys tend to chase
Unwary tourists who may find
Their nimble fingers rob them blind!

© Poet in the woods 2015

An Evening in Amed - Bali

Amed beach has brackish sand;
At night a bike ride - quite unplanned
A haphazard enclave, poorly lit
Down hairpin roads; it rained a bit.

A giant puddle blocked our way
Rubicon crossing kicked up spray.
Most bars were empty - music played
Fresh flowers on tables gently swayed.

Tourists seem thin upon the ground
But bikes with Balinese abound.
Two elephant statues brightly clad
Seemed intriguing as they had

Pointed down a passageway
To a garden café locked away.
This time we were not alone
It seems this venue is well known.

A simple menu - finely done
New tastes and textures our hearts won.
At another table, guttural tones
And a couple using mobile phones…

In pitch black - just stars overhead
Past mangy dogs with feral tread
The two-wheeled drive was slow but sure
Through dripping leaves to hotel door.

© Poet in the woods 2015

An Evocation of Bali

Frangipani flowers at our feet
Their fragrance lingering and sweet
Scarlet flame trees catch our eye
Bougainvillaea blossoms flutter by.

It's the rainy season, all is green
Birds chirrup but cannot be seen.
A sparkling butterfly or two
Hovers round the gold bamboo.

Nearby, lit up by lantern glow
Small eateries where tourists go
They talk in whispers, drink their beer
Indolent in the sultry air.

Bali's bountiful white rice
Ubiquitous, enhanced with spice
Satay, noodles, chicken, prawn
Wrapped in banana leaves and warm.

It's another world; time is suspended
"Living in the moment" never ended
Pungent smells assail our brain
As we shelter from the heavy rain…

© Poet in the woods 2015

Bali - location of the G20 Summit on climate change in November, 2022.

Over the Volcano - Bali

An air-conditioned taxi ride
Past volcanoes to the northern side
Lush rice paddies, bikes in droves
Coconut and banana groves.

Rickety wayside stalls abound
Mangoes and rambutans astound
Melons, mangosteens and flies
Provide a rich feast for the eyes.

Intrepid travellers long ago
Bathed in Bali's spice-filled glow
Sacks of rice, live chicken vans
Humidity conquered by huge fans...

Dignified poverty wreathed in smiles
No tourists can be seen for miles
Wood carvings show the craftsman's skill
The infinity pool - a total thrill!

At midnight under a full moon
Long splashes write a happy tune
The ripples cause our cares to fray
In the timeless wonder of the spray ...

© Poet in the woods 2015



View of Mount Agung

Kuta Beach - Bali

Bali's southern side is wild
Kuta is paradise defiled;
Streams of shops and cocktail bars
Raucous drinkers under stars.

Sarongs that billow out on racks
Massage parlours, side street snacks
Surfboards, drinks, persistant hawkers
A haggling challenge by the waters.

The sun sets on a silver sea
The palm fronds whisper soft to me
But their overture is soon drowned out
By brash DJ and lager lout …

© Poet in the woods 2015

Beautiful Bali

An escape from sanitized Australia
Broad, open roads and dusty heat
To a pearl of magical regalia
Emerald rice fields, dancing feet!

Temples, markets, fragrant food
At festivals of living art
The gentle Balinese exude
A smiling welcome from the heart.

Traditional rhythms rend the air
The island's mood, unique, is caught
Its topicality all share
Its "other worldliness" is sought.

No place on earth can match this isle
Untrodden beaches lie in wait
For those who seek its haunting style
Here's inner peace on Nature's plate.

© Poet in the woods 2015