Personal Statement – Iowa Writers’ Workshop

I saw this regal, gentle, ancient tree yesterday, and wanted to share it with you. One thing which was extremely hard for me when we moved from Bag End to Australia was how different the trees, the light and the aromas were here. Australian trees tend to be much more pale than their Pacific Northwest counterparts. I ached for the trees in my old back garden - the Mountain Ash, the Plum Trees, the Horse Chestnut, the Cedars, the Douglas Firs. That mourning and sorrow means it is extra significant when, here in Melbs, I feel that old  surge of tree delight, as I felt yesterday when I encountered this sacred Salmon Gum!