There was no Wet Season here in northwestern Australia last year. The rain never came. Last night a cyclone (or hurricane) formed at sea to the north of us. It’s over 600km away and the sky is clear blue this morning.
Read MoreShe felt in miserable communion, then, with all of her patients afflicted by toothache. She understood why they knocked on her door at night or woke up the nurses.
Read MoreThe damaged shopping trolley was full of the worldly possessions of the house-less person who had been sheltering there.
Read MoreMoving into the adjoining cavern I find the brilliant aqua spot. Light is pouring around me through the bright water.
Read MoreThe Egyptians had cults of the bull, including prognostication from the actions of a specially selected animal.
Read MoreThe body lets out feelings the mind is not allowing, through movement, emotion, sickness.
Read MoreWhat a mess you can get yourself into, stealing so that you can inject chemicals to feel like you got a hug. That’s about as lonely as it gets.
Read More‘Great clouds of yellow pollen moved through the air like huge, transparent fish. The chairs and tables on the terrace were covered in layers of the sweet-smelling gold powder.’
Read MoreIt's an intrusive presence in the desert, that hot star. Things are different in Europe, where the Sun gives people a chance to miss it during winter.
Read MoreI was allowed to stand above the patient's head to see his heart and lungs working while the doctors and nurses worked on him. I stood as still as I could, afraid I might fall in.
Read MoreMy Aboriginal grandfather didn’t want to be buried in a graveyard with a headstone after he died. “Put me up in a tree,” he said, “Like the old people did.”
“They put dead bodies up in a tree?” I was incredulous.
Broome was the first place I saw hot pink frangipanis – their perfume swelling up in the waves of midday heat
Read MoreLooking out over the orange and pink sands, patterned by olive and citron greens of recent rains, I thought of our friend who died on that road. He flies with eagles.
Read More"The wild carrot has a leaf which is delicate and curved. We call it Aphrodite’s eyebrow. You have to be very careful though, because the other plant that looks like these is hemlock.”
Read More‘This is a very serious incident —' said Claudia.
‘There was no incident,’ interrupted the doctor.
“Why is he worse now than he was before the operation?” John demanded. “Why isn’t he better? Are you telling us he’s not going to get better?”
Read MoreIn his new reality in the hospital, he was being captured and taken away, tortured and traumatised, every night.
Read More“She walked into the shop and started taking all the Coca-Cola out. I knew what she was doing and so did everyone else, but the shop-owner. He had no idea. He just saw profit coming off the shelf, literally."
“She was throwing it out into the street.”
Read MoreI feel grateful to her for allowing me, all those years ago, to slip in and out of her classroom to learn more about the art and science of slipping sharp needles into people’s veins.
Read MoreI have to admit that I didn’t like the idea of mentoring in the 80’s and 90’s. It seemed to me that if you needed some guidance on a path of greed and corruption, a mentor was the one to help you. You can see my ideas about business were a little narrow.
Read MoreSlot Canyon photograph in banner by Sebastian Boguszewicz
Creative Writing by Dr. Janelle Trees
Photo: Claudia Jocher
I'm a doctor of Aboriginal descent living and travelling with my photographer wife, Claudia. I see myself as a bridge between 'races' and cultures, gay and straight, the child and the crone, arts and sciences. I am inspired by Nature, including humans in all our splendid individuality.
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