SILVER AND GOLD

Ballina, NSW

Far to the west, behind the shadowed town,

Surrounded by a blaze of gold sea-haze,

The dazzling, gold-bright sun was sinking down,

And filling eyes with golden, fire rays

And spreading over misted sky a gown

Of golden light and over river waves

A gold-paved pathway to the skyline blaze.

Far to the east, arising with the night,

White-haloed on the wide sea’s cloud-strewn sky,

The bright moon’s silver face was gaining light,

White, silver light as day was passing by,

That spread a shining path, all sparkling-bright,

Across the sea- cool, silver shimmering

That danced across the ocean’s billowing.

So on one side the eastern ocean

Was thus a world of silver motion

And on the other, last of day

Was golden with the sun’s last ray…

There in the middle I could stand

With silver and gold on either hand.