There's a bump in the road

There's a bump in the road

And at once I am awake

My eyes heavy, glimpses of trees running past

And the wombat scattered motionless across the highway.

I inhale. Take in the strange smell of the air-con.

I hold. Listen as the sound of the radio comes into focus.

I exhale. There’s a bump in the road.

The car splutters gas into the air.

I watch black trees among the lush forest

A reminder of what we lost in the flames,

A reminder that the forest never forgets.

There’s a bump in the road.

I feel the sun on my body.

It’s hotter than it was last year.

I try to pay no mind, it’s hard when you pass another bloody patch on the road,

Another cluster of black trees,

Another farm with a hill, an empty space 

Where a home once was.

Mine could be next.

There’s a bump in the road.