If the Lyrebird could speak

by Johanna Bell

BEFORE

I sing because I am

Do you hear me?

welcoming the winter sun

through fern and feather

the bracken bends

and I shimmy

from the height of my mound

I repeat

all the songs I have heard

Do you hear me?

I repeat

all the songs I have heard

plee-erk plee-erk plee-erk, srreeeeeeech, psit-a-see, psit-a-see, psit-a-see, kooo-koooo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kak-kak-kak-cook-cook-cook-ka, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, peet peet peet, peet peet peet, click, peet peet peet, peet peet peet, click, click, click, curra-wong, curra-wong, caddow caddang, caddow caddang, oo-oooo, oo-oooo, ooooooo, kwok! wearbling warbling warbling, wh-wh-wh-you wit, wh-wh-wh-you wit, seep, wh-wh-wh-you wit, seep, pip pip pip pip hoo-ee, pip pip pip pip hoo-ee, yorick! whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipshik, chew chew, tu-eewit, tu-eewit, guinea-a-week, guinea-a-week, whit a wit wee, whit a wit wee, whit a wit wee, zwit! zwit! tewp tewp, tewp tewp, tewp tewp, ts-cheer ts-cheer sit you sit you sit you sit you sit you sit you ts-cheer, srreeeeeeech, caw caw caaaaaaaaaw, plee-erk plee-erk plee-erk, srreeeeeeech, psit-a-see, psit-a-see, psit-a-see, kooo-koooo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kak-kak-kak-cook-cook-cook-ka, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, peet peet peet, peet peet peet, click, peet peet peet, peet peet peet, click, click, click, curra-wong, curra-wong, caddow caddang, caddow caddang, oo-oooo, oo-oooo, ooooooo, kwok! wearbling warbling warbling, wh-wh-wh-you wit, wh-wh-wh-you wit, seep, wh-wh-wh-you wit, seep, pip pip pip pip hoo-ee, pip pip pip pip hoo-ee, yorick! whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipshik, chew chew, tu-eewit, tu-eewit, guinea-a-week, guinea-a-week, whit a wit wee, whit a wit wee, whit a wit wee, zwit! zwit! tewp tewp, tewp tewp, tewp tewp, ts-cheer ts-cheer sit you sit you sit you sit you sit you sit you ts-cheer, srreeeeeeech, caw caw caaaaaaaaaw, plee-erk plee-erk plee-erk, srreeeeeeech, psit-a-see, psit-a-see, psit-a-see, kooo-koooo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kak-kak-kak-cook-cook-cook-ka, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, peet peet peet, peet peet peet, click, peet peet peet, peet peet peet, click, click, click, curra-wong, curra-wong, caddow caddang, caddow caddang, oo-oooo, oo-oooo, ooooooo, kwok! wearbling warbling warbling, wh-wh-wh-you wit, wh-wh-wh-you wit, seep, wh-wh-wh-you wit, seep, pip pip pip pip hoo-ee, pip pip pip pip hoo-ee, yorick! whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipshik, chew chew, tu-eewit, tu-eewit, guinea-a-week, guinea-a-week, whit a wit wee, whit a wit wee, whit a wit wee, zwit! zwit! tewp tewp, tewp tewp, tewp tewp, ts-cheer ts-cheer sit you sit you sit you sit you sit you sit you ts-cheer, srreeeeeeech, caw caw caaaaaaaaaw

THEN

I sung because you listened

back in 1934

among the Sherbrooke gums

Did you hear me?

dressed in woollen suits

you wheeled your awkward recording machines

mouths open

sampling

my collaged song

immortalising syllables on lacquer-coated discs

broadcast across the nation

Did you hear me?

I repeat

Photo credit: This image first appeared on page 35 of Lyrebirds Calling from Australia by LittleJohns, R.T. 1947, The National Press, Melbourne.

NOW

The bush grows quiet

at first, a single chortle

then a string of liquid warble

a trill

a rattle

a coo-coo-coo

the emptying of space

Can you hear me?

on the moonlit mound

I stand

I repeat

Can you hear me?

I sing because I am

welcoming the winter sun

but these days

the mornings are dark

plee-erk plee-erk plee-erk             tsit-tsit

eet peet peet

  curra-wong

  pip pip pip pip tu-eewit

    whit a wit wee

caw caw caaaaaaaaaw

FUTURE

If you close your ears

in an empty forest

Can you hear me?

in an empty nest

in the dying branch of a bony tree

Can you hear me?

after all these years

listening

Do you even know I'm here?

I wait

for the day you come

for the day you play

on repeat

all the songs I have heard

all the songs you have heard

head cocked to one side

I stand on my moonlit mound

listening

Tape cassette Side A: plee-erk plee-erk plee-erk, srreeeeeeech, psit-a-see, psit-a-see, psit-a-see, kooo-koooo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kak-kak-kak-cook-cook-cook-ka, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, tsit-tsit, peet peet peet, peet peet peet, click, peet peet peet, peet peet peet, click, click, click, curra-wong, curra-wong, caddow caddang, caddow caddang, oo-oooo, oo-oooo, ooooooo, kwok! wearbling warbling warbling, wh-wh-wh-you wit, wh-wh-wh-you wit, seep, wh-wh-wh-you wit, seep, pip pip pip pip hoo-ee, pip pip pip pip hoo-ee, yorick! whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipshik, chew chew, tu-eewit, tu-eewit, guinea-a-week, guinea-a-week, whit a wit wee, whit a wit wee, whit a wit wee, zwit! zwit! tewp tewp, tewp tewp, tewp tewp, ts-cheer ts-cheer sit you sit you sit you sit you sit you sit you ts-cheer, srreeeeeeech, caw caw caaaaaaaaaw

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Works Cited

This poem features excerpts from a longer verse novel by Johanna Bell.

The list of species featured in this poem was found in Lyrebirds Calling from Australia by LittleJohns, R.T. 1947, The National Press, Melbourne.

The birdcalls in this poem were sourced from The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds by Slater, Peter, 1986, Reed New Holland, Sydney (except the kookaburra and whip bird calls which were written by the poet).