Photographs by Jonathan M Marden

I'll keep a friend serene

To the left of Saddle Road that overlooks the Ruahine region, the Puketoi hills in the distance, play peek-a-boo from under the covers of the morning fog.

Hidden beneath, amidst verdant green fields and the tributaries that feed the upper reaches of the Manawatu River, there is a quiet and tranquil place marked by one such solitary stream called Kumeti. A long time ago I lived nearby, only for a short time, but it became a place of peace and calm, forever in my heart.

Title is a line from "Diamond Dogs" by David Bowie

An Autumnal Day’s End in Kumeti

The gentle birdsong echoes in the cool of the evening

Not a breeze to stir the branches of the Totara trees

But harken to the restful rippling of the nearby stream

As its waters giggle down over smooth grey stones

The light begins to fade under a clear crystal sky

Leaving the western hills in stark silhouette

And there yonder lights twinkle from the distant town

While a soft moon cusp shines pale overhead

Now even the birds are quieted as the gloom gathers in

And sheep in the nearby field no longer call to their young

And as the enveloping darkness slowly seeps in from the east

The caress of a becalming mist lays low the land in silence.

by Jonathan M Marden.