I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world,
to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

This blog is not, 'Here are my very best poems'. It's for work in progress, subject to revision.
Posts may be updated without notice at any time. Completed work appears in my books.

Announcement (19 May 2013)

I won’t be writing so many new poems for a while — though there will be some. I want to spend more time on revision, and more time working on memoir (in prose!). I'll continue to participate in my online poetic communities, sharing poems already written.

22 December 2012

A New World?


Kyrielle for 22 December 2012

This is the way the world begins.
Wake and breathe: a normal day.
We are not punished for our sins —
not just this moment anyway.

It might be safe to buy more food
and even stash a bit away
now that the world's not going to end —
well, not this moment anyway.

But can we now begin again?
Pollution hasn't gone away.
Carbon emissions still remain —
for this long moment anyway.

We cry out to whatever God:
'Now please deliver us!' we pray.
'In the beginning is the word —
Oh grant a new one, any way!'

My father, the agnostic, said:
'Do your own deeds, say your own say.
Each of us, thus, could save the world —
for one more moment, anyway.'

Redressing the collective sins,
we each must act on our dismay.
Is now when our new world begins?
Let's seize this moment anyway!


Submitted for dverse FormForAll #20 
Theme inspired by LukePrater's Last Flush.

18 December 2012

He went out: November tanka 2012


he went out
to buy his child lollies
returned
as the next bomb struck
crushing her under stone

the young father
asks through his tears
what did she do?
she didn't fire any rockets
she was five

21/11/12