Written by Belinda Broughton.

This photo by Ervin Janek was taken near Swan Reach in a puddle in a billabong of the Murray. A billabong is an off shoot of a river that flows when the river is high. I suspect this one has water only from run off because, when this photo was taken, the Murray hadn't flooded for a long time.

I am the model and the mud was very stinky, each slimy step forward raising a cloud of rot. The things we do for art and love.

It speaks about the degradation of our waterways, how important water is to all life, and human knowledge, awareness and guilt.

There is something primal about it, don't you think? It makes me feel awkward, maybe even afraid. How do you feel about it?