Tuesday poem: The poet addresses her first book
May 26, 2014
The poet addresses her first book
Oh my little treasure, with your spine just like a real spine
and your two short footnotes; smooth, appropriate and small.
I would swaddle you in gossamer, rock you in a golden crib.
All too soon you’ll be waddling out amongst dangerous critics
(if one so angelic and slim could ever so perambulate.)
Strange readers may not see your brilliance, and overlook you
for the thicker, slicker, tarmac roads of easy fattening prose.
Those lard-backs, perched like obese babushka dolls
above the Muse’s cuter, lighter, cuddle-worthy spawn.
Hush, dear bookie. Drink deep.
No-one will ever love you as I do.
P.S. Cottier
This little occasional poem was written for the launch of my first book, way back in 2008. I have been thinking about that as we head towards the launches of The Stars Like Sand, jointly edited by Tim Jones and myself.
It’s always a strange experience to hold something that was previously only an idea, or a manuscript. A manuscript is a bit like an ultrasound of a baby, showing a rough outline, but not the detail. The pregnancy, in the case of the latest volume, lasted about 18 months, which is positively elephantine.
Can’t wait to get back to concentrating entirely on my own poetry. I almost have another manuscript prepared. And I have an inkling for something else, too.
Launches intervene, though!
These have been unusually feminine metaphors for me. Or perhaps female would be a more accurate word. Next time I promise to return to football or cricket imagery.
Owzat?
Click this feather for further poetic goodness, with no added artificial ingredients:
So who is in it?
May 22, 2014
I thought people might be interested to know who is in The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry. So here is the full list:
David Adès, Zoë Anderson, Jude Aquilina, Emilie Zoey Baker, Catherine Bateson, Eric Beach, Judith Beveridge, Jenny Blackford, Peter Boyle, John Le Gay Brereton, Sara Bruxner, joanne burns, Michael Byrne, Caroline Caddy, me, Mike Crowl, Victor J. Daley, Luke Davies, C.J. Dennis, Jake Dennis, Benjamin Dodds, Joe Dolce, Michael Dransfield, Diane Fahey, Mary Hannay Foott, Carolyn Gerrish, Kevin Gillam, Alan Gould, John Grey, Lesbian Harford, Dimitra Harvey, Ron Heard, Eliza-Jane Henry-Jones, Matt Hetherington, Paul Hetherington, Dorothy Hewett, Marilyn Humbert, Lisa Jacobson, John Jenkins, Jill Jones, Raphael Kabo, Melinda Kallasmae, S.K. Kelen, Earl Livings, Chris Lynch, Emily Manger, Catherine Martin, M.F. McAuliffe, Victoria McGrath, Jo Mills, Peter Minter, Lizz Murphy, Les Murray, Jan Napier, John Shaw Neilson, Barry O’Donahue, Jan Owen, Moya Pacey, Andrew Barton Paterson, Simon Petrie, Dorothy Porter, Craig Powell, David P. Reiter, Philip Salom, Janeen Samuel, Miro Sandev, Tim Sinclair, Alex Skovron, Melinda Smith, J. Brunton Stephens, Alan Stewart, John Tranter, John Upton, Rod Usher, Susan Waddell, Rob Walker, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Samuel Wagan Watson, Mercedes Webb-Pullman, Les Wicks, Sean Williams, SB Wright.
Rapt, I am, to unwrap such a group. Lovely pagefellows to lie between such covers:
I am really looking forward to the launches now. I’ll post the invitation posters again soon, just in case the list has inspired you to come along and hear some of that group read at either of the launches. (I copied the list by hand and eye, just to refamiliarise myself, so please excuse any typos, which are not in the book!)
It’s a thing now!
May 16, 2014
I spotted this handsome thing having a glass of good Australian sparkling wine at Tilley’s.
This thing will be launched in Melbourne and Canberra soon, and then be sent out to all the contributors whose DNA formed the thing.
But on a lovely sunny Autumn afternoon in Canberra, this blogger will join Thing in having a drink or eight.
My fingers are feeling shky…vant spell,,or punktewat…
Tuesday poem: Old men’s ears
May 12, 2014
Old men’s ears
half lettuce and half slug
sprouting sound
P.S. Cottier
Hair growing from noses and ears is a peculiar phenomenon, and one that seems to have spawned a whole lot of gadgets, mostly invented in the United States. Advertisements for this desirable kit now grace television screens in Australia. Americans groom themselves with a missionary fervour, spouting platitudes from the same faces which recently sprouted hairs.
I think I prefer the hairs.
I am currently going mad awaiting the arrival of the anthology for which there are two launches in June, as detailed in my last post. Nightmare scenarios grow in my brain like cerebral hairs.
And no-one has invented a worry remover that will work on those unwanted growths.
Click this feather and see if there are any other poems about body parts posted by the Tuesday Poets. I suppose a feather is a body part. Or perhaps just a bird’s hair.
Launches….also Verity La
May 3, 2014
If you are reading this and live in the cities of Melbourne or Canberra, and don’t come to one of these launches, my drone will find you. It sprays honey and drops hungry wasps.
Just saying…
Click on the relevant poster to enlarge. Clever people manage to enlarge things before posting, but I am not at all geekish.
I have yet to receive any books, but I am sure that will happen soon.
I have my longest poem ever up at Verity La. It is a list poem called ‘100 holes in my bucket’. Enjoy! I like this one quite a lot.
PS Cottier 