M passed on a book she thought I might like to read. She said that it reminded her of the exploring I’d like to do in my masters research.
The comfort of water: a river pilgrimage is a story about a woman and her three friends walking Birrarung (the Yarra River) from the Neerim (Port Phillip Bay) to its source. Just before the four set off, Maya, the writer of this story, speaks an affirmation…
‘May I breathe through my feet, lay my skin open, and be there to meet it all. All that is left and all that is new’ (p.44).
I love the way she bears herself open to being with country, ‘speaking’ with country and co-existing. It is such an affirmation for me to find stories like this from people who are seeking to re-connect with place in a way that is deep, philosophical and spiritual and honors Indigenous stories and performance of place.
Being with Country 