I sit
on my green cane chair
The best chair for thinking
It is outside
It has the advantage
of being
in a good place
A verandah from which
there is much to see
Even if the weather is cold
it is in the right position
because the wind slides past
laterally
In this chair
you can avoid
confronting winds of change
You can sit here for
a long time
confident
you won’t have to move
or make way
for someone or something
You can watch
all sorts of things
unfold from this chair
Insects birds animals people
the day the night
the light
Seasons pass you by
I unfold from this chair
This is a sitting for thinking chair
It gives access
to great scope for thought
A matching cane table
stands
by this chair
It is for
all the paraphernalia
I choose to utilise
for observation and thinking
for research recording and writing
Endless cups of tea
Vegemite and salad rolls
Fruit nuts
stacks of books
Pens paper
Camera iPad and phone
Background noises
surrounding this chair
are soothing
Creek water
tumbling over rocks
An irregular breeze
wafting at leaves
Morning song birdsong evensong
Another nice sound
I often hear from this chair
is children playing
Always happy to be outside
In cooler months
running along the bush track
In summer
swimming in the waterhole by the bridge
or excitedly calling to each other
as they splash
about amongst the cascades
You need to wear
a brimmed hat
sitting in this chair
regardless of the season
This is to shade your eyes
from the northerly and westering sun
To balance the glare
against the shadows
on the surface
you are working on
This chair has soft cushions
for the seat and for the back
They rest against its structure of
bent cane
It is a very good fit
You can sit for a long time
before needing to move
However, the arms of this chair are narrow
They may confine you
to a limited range of positions
This has the advantage
of forcing movement
This state of affairs
is conducive
to constructive
thinking by prompting
physical activity
around the house
along the verandah
in the garden
along the creek
Such activity can be necessary
to continue to be
effective
A mental activity reset
New approaches
come with a reset
Quite often they are so
new
you get a pleasant surprise
This is because
you didn’t know
they were there
within you
beforehand
Another way to reset is
change the scene
move this chair
to the edge of the verandah
or reorientate
A different outlook
New space
New thinking
You have to remember
to take the cushions
in
every evening
to stop them
getting damp
They get tired and worn
They are due for
a new skin
Just like me
This chair is exposed to the elements
One day it won’t be there
I wonder will another chair
be so generous?