One night during our week in Sanur, (Four weeks ago now)I awoke to hear the rain pouring down. To any of you who love the sound of a tropical downpour you will understand what I mean when I say it was music to my ears. I quietly crept outside and sat on the balcony for a while just enjoying the sounds and smells that such a downpour brings.
When we awoke in the morning it was still raining, only lightly but it seemed to have set in. We had spoken to a couple the day before who had spent the day in Kuta, they had told us that it was much clearer in Kuta than in Sanur where it was really overcast. So because it was a bit wet we decided that we would go and spend a few hours in Kuta.
We went to Matahari to do some shopping. We then decided to walk to Bali Aussie in Melasti Street for lunch and then on to the markets to say hello to some old friends.
As we approached Poppies Lane 2, close to the Memorial for the first bombing, a snow white Dove landed on a pole on a building right in front of us and just above our heads, it sat there looking straight at us and gently flapping it's wings for about 30 seconds, then it slowly swooped over us and flew away. I felt shivers went down my spine.
We had booked to go to Bali in November 2005. For the first time we were taking our daughter and grand daughter. On the morning after the second bomb I felt devastated for the people concerned. (I also thought that my daughter might decide not to go, she thought about it for a couple of weeks and decided that she still wanted to go and also to take our grand daughter. We went ahead with our plans and we had a great trip last November).
I wrote a poem the day after the second bombing, as I said I felt devastated for the people concerned, as I wrote the poem I closed my eyes and imagined I was sending the snow white dove to Bali. Here is the poem...
Early Morning Music
The music of the Gamelan, softly plays within my mind,
the smell of incense burning is never far behind,
offerings of rice & flowers are placed with loving care,
I carefully step around them, with respect to why they're there.
They smile & say good morning, as they open up their stores,
to this early morning tourist that walks along their shores.
The roads are strangely quiet in this early morning hour,
but slowly life is stirring like the opening of a flower.
Mothers sit and feed their babies, children wave as I walk by,
above me in the skies I see the kites that fly so high.
Hens clucking at their chickens, piglets playing in the lane,
all so different from my home, but here I feel so sane.
I promptly open tired eyes to all that is around,
I drink in all the sights and scents that years ago I found.
Then morning comes a creeping, it was all within my dreams,
I turn on the television, I hear the peoples screams.....
Terrorists have left their mark, on this Island that I love,
I close my eyes and send to you a beautiful snow-white dove.
Things have changed, you're not the same, but neither then am I,
will I desert you in your time of need, I couldn't if I tried.
Coco - October 2005
We looked but never saw another snow white dove the whole time that we were in Bali, has anyone else ever seen one ?
Coco