Peace on the Pinnacles

The Pinnacles at Perth

Ancient hands- they cup a pool of sand,
Fingers slow emerging from the land,
Withered as the rolling world they stand-
Chiefs of chiefs see spirits set in stone,
So they leave the deserts all alone.

Palace grounds that to horizons reach,
Chambers buried ‘neath the thirsty beach.
Seven sisters, graced by starlight, teach:
Mothers’ tales of spirits set in stone,
Ask to leave the desert on its own.

Grains of sand sail ‘cross each golden wave,
Footprints of the roos and emus pave
Roads to kingdoms solemn as the grave-
Children sing of spirits set in stone,
Then they leave the deserts all alone.

Curious hands- they taste the limestone wall,
Pricked by sunny billows, rise and fall,
Relics kept in pockets beg and call-
We are living spirits set in stone
That can heal the wounds with trust alone.

Hidden beauties doused in dusty dreams,
Skylines gleam with opal stains and streams,
Nothing in the world is what it seems-
Peace is living spirit set in stone
Healing life and love with trust alone.


Rachael Lum


Every poem ever written has a whole other story behind it. Sometimes by seeing what inspires a person to write what he/she writes, it opens your eyes to another way of taking in your surroundings. That's what I believe. And this is a rough idea of what inspired this poem: The Pinnacles of Western Australia.

The Pinnacles are limestone structures in a vast desert in Nambung National Park, where the protruding roots of trees are coated by calcite layers over centuries. The Aborigines refuse to enter the park because they believe that the formations are manifestations of ghosts.

Footprint of an emu

Most of the animals in the park are nocturnal, but during the day, you might be able to see emus and kangaroos. I didn't see any wild ones, only the footprint of an emu.

Mini-pinnacle

More pinnacles are forming each day, albeit very slowly. Some tourists have a tendency to pocket broken mini-pinnacles, for with the presence of  beguiling beauties of nature comes superstitions, such as the ability to heal arthritis or bone-related problems. Calcium carbonate after all, aren't they? The background of the photo above is a spot known as 'The Graveyards', as they supposedly look like tombstones.

A wave of darkness, a wave of light

Every now and then, the sun would be blocked by rushing clouds, which gave an illusion of sunny waves. It might be just me- but walking on the dusty dunes only greeted by silence was really peaceful. Time stops in the face of such majestic sights.

I leave the rest to your imagination.