Tuesday Poem - Tawny Frogmouth by Earl Livings

Tawny Frogmouth

Stunned by this sudden cave
Of glass, metal gadgets, straight edges,
The floored bird swivel-head stares
At our locked gaze, hunches so still
I think oven mitts unnecessary
For capture. We breathe together.

Its wildness springs into flight.
Wings flail the ceiling, that sound
Like books falling from shelves.
The bird shudder-drops, lands
With its amber-bulb eyes inches
From the doorjamb. We coo and shoo.

It hops sideways, senses the wide
Dark beyond the door we opened
For cool breezes, dark rectangle
In the dark house it did not see
But may remember. Spreads itself
To the night and all scents of home.

Lifts itself on a single beat.
Rises swiftly towards distant trees.
We stare at each other, the wonder
Of wildness so easily trapped, gone,
Close the door, turn off the lights,
Listen to the silence, to our longing.


Earl Livings is an award-winning Melbourne based poet and writer who currently teaches Professional Writing and Editing at Box Hill TAFE. 'Tawny Frogmouth' was shortlisted for the 2008 Rosemary Dobson prize and previously published in Avant. His first collection of poetry, Further than the Light was published in 2000 by Bystander Press.

Check out other Tuesday Poems here.

New course @ Box Hill Tafe

I'm delighted to announce that Box Hill Tafe is offering a new course through our Professional Writing and Editing programme. Actually, it's not really a new course, but the way we are offering it is completely new.

It's the Advanced Novel course which we'll be running as a Fee for Service mentoring programme. What this means is that second year students with a specific writing project in mind can enrol and receive specialised mentoring according to their individual nees. So, for example, if you're considering putting together a collection of poetry for possible publication or submission to a New Poet's publishing programme or competition, you'd be able to enrol in the Advanced Novel and work primarily with either Earl Livings or myself, on that collection. You'd see other tutors, too, of course, and have the opportunity to workshop your work. If you are working on a memoir or writing for radio or performance, you'd be working primarily with Elly Varrenti, but have access to the other tutors and regular workshops with other students. Other tutors are Nadine Cresswell-Myatt, who's specialty is journalistic non-fiction and Euan Mitchell who writes young adult fiction and is the self-publishing guru. I'd also be available to work with novelists, anyone interested in writing for children, including picture books, and - a rare breed - verse novelists!

This is the first time any TAFE in Victoria has offered this subject in this way and I'm delighted! It gives us a chance to work with and offer something more to high-achieving, ambitious and dedicated writing students. Doesn't get much better than that.

Of course, you don't have to be a Box Hill student to apply - so if you're interested, give Box Hill PWE department a call 03)9286 9766.