Mulberries and silkworms

Over a period of four years I've watched the seasons come and go in relation to a mulberry tree growing alongside the Maranoa River, next to the Mitchell road bridge. This tree survived the seven-year drought even producing crops of mulberries throughout those desperately dry years. Then in January 2010 floodwaters knocked the tree over and I thought it was dead.

But this tree is resilient and up shot a mass of stems, perhaps around 100 in number. Each stem is like a mini-tree with some branches, large heart-shaped leaves and a crop of fruit at the pale red stage. It won't be long till the fruit swells with juices and turns black in colour -- ready to eat. Mulberry trees remind me of the silkworms of my youth, of cocoons spun of golden silk that I unwound and made into a plait.