Hi, I'm Beverley Joy of Simply Story. I wrote this poem while recalling memories of times spent with my brother and his wife and family who live 800kms north of my home town of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. They come down to visit family and friends a few times a year. Every year I wish I had the money and time to go up and visit them. Finally, in 2019, I went up to live in their town for a year.
Back in 2011, I went on a travelling/working holiday, with my then-husband, driving across the top of Australia to Broome Western Australia, 6000km away from my home town. I missed my daughters and family so much, physically and emotionally they felt so far away. I couldn't just jump in the car and drive down the road to visit them. It was a five-hour flight from Perth to Brisbane across the width of Australia to visit them. After travelling for three years around Australia and Tasmania in our motorhome, I wanted to and needed to, settle back to live within a two hours drive of my daughters, my ageing dad and my family. Even though I don't live in their pockets, I find it comforting to know they are only a short drive or plane flight away. I couldn't imagine permanently living in a different country to them, yet many people have to do just that.
My interpretation of the featured image, that I chose for this poem, which you can see at www.simplystorypoetry/distantfamilyandfriends.com is that the eyes are looking through the distance, looking slightly tired, patiently waiting, looking forward to the arrival, hoping the journey will be a safe one. The scenery is desolate and lonely and seems to go on forever. Time is ticking away, stopping for no one, not the traveller nor the loved one at the other end of the journey. Life ticks away as we wait to travel. The clouds shield the sun's heat, showing mercy to the traveller. Will the clouds shower the traveller with refreshing light rain to cool the journey, or with a thunderstorm hindering and delaying the arrival? Either way, tears of joy will flow from the eyes at the journey's end?
Thank you for listening. You can read my other poems and verses at Simply Story Poetry on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the website.
