Tuesday Poem

 Blessed

Cockatoos wheel and tilt in
delighting the fearful tourists
who hold out dishes of seed
as the birds, all beak, gnarly claws
and greed, ruffle their feathers on parade.
Further in the forest small birds flash in and out,
their beserk scolding stops when we speak.
Later it will rain - the sky's iron-grey.
Look up through dizzying stands of mountain ash.
Beneath them, so small,
we are put in our proper place. 

All week, my poems have been filled with birds, forests and sky. We're hosting two young German couchsurfers and, walking with them, I've looked at my own world through tourist eyes. It is beautiful in the Hills and we're supremely lucky to live so close to the forest and to be woken, every morning, by birdsong. Recently, Keith's seen an owl, or a Tawny Frogmouth swooping silently through the night when he's taken Honey, the lab, out for her evening trot. Today the rain's falling but we've already walked and I'm home, wearing the shawl I knitted in Paris and thinking about finishing my Easter socks. Much to be grateful for - including the holidays! (And finishing Chapter 16 of The Novel.) If only I could remember these states of grace when I'm deep in the mire of stress, self-flagellation or just general crankiness.

Do visit the Tuesday Poem. This week it's 'Darkroom' by Erica Goss - and this richly evocative poem is followed by an interview with Goss and her partners in the Media Poetry Studio project. Such an innovative and exciting project! Many thanks to Michelle Elvy for featuring Goss. While you're looking around at poems, take a look here at the work of one of Goss's collaborators in the Media Poetry Studio.

Scultpture by William Ricketts.

April Poem 5

from: 'Remember'

Remember you are made of stars
even in the darkest night
or the relentless day,
shining up each blemish.
It is difficult to imagine -
the stars so far away
you with psoriasis,
perhaps, or just bad skin
and hair that won't and don't
talk to me about breasts, thighs
or even feet can be problematic....

Poem 4

The crows gather in the carpark
cough like old men.
Some days here - just here -
feels like the top of the world,
despite the supermarket and broken glass.

April Poem 3

from: 'Autumn'

The cups are on their saucers
the dog sleeps at one end of the rug
the house minds its manners,
steadies for the winter we'll fill
with soup and thrillers.

April Poem Number Two

from: 'Why Things Don't Work'


It is mysterious why things don't work
and we do not have the answers
regretfully
sincerely
perhaps apologetically.
Nonetheless, sir/madam we suggest
humbly
that you stand outside on this clear night
- look up -
now tell us again
that nothing works.

Catherine Bateson 2/04/2015

First April Poem

I've decided not to always post whole poems here, but rather to always, the following day, post a taster of what I've done. Sometimes this will be the whole poem, sometimes a few lines, sometimes even the impulse or exercise behind them.

Yesterday, from a poem called 'W is for Wings':

In my mother's garden,
neglected chaos,
the watering can abandoned
beside a tree we agreed to cut down,
a gardenia dwarfed by some nondescript shrub
(metaphor for many women's lives)
only I see - if I close my eyes -

   a sweet Eden...

 

Preparations for NaPoWriMo

First - read this week's Tuesday Poem! Linda France's homage to a wasp nest. I love seeing old bird nests in the bare trees in winter, a reminder that when spring comes around again, the male birds will start flirting all over again outside my window. I added the idea of nests to my thoughts about NaPoWriMo.

Then ransack your library for books on writing poetry - or simply books on writing about writing. I have quite a few, but the two I was drawn to immediately are The Practice of Poetry, edited by Robin Behn and Chase Twichell and Luna, Luna, Creative Writing Ideas from Spanish, Latin American and Latino Literature, edited by Julio Marzan, both books I have used in the past.

Find a good notebook. Easy around here!

I wanted to also be inspired by some images, so I googled various images and stored them on my desktop - though I might now go and make a Pinterest board.

Commit to NaPoWriMo somewhere publicly. Done.

Lastly, create a pile of poetry collections and anthologies to dip into over the month. Preferably have some books which are new to you, some which challenge your normal reading and others which contain old favourites. (Still doing this - it's rather a joyful task!)

That and getting my computer fixed was just about all I've achieved today! I hope your day was slightly more productive! Go read about the productive wasps - you know you want to!