Joanna Preston: Tasmanaut Poet, Editor and Creative Writing Tutor
As virtuous men pass mildly away, And whisper to their souls to go, Whilst some of their sad friends do say “The breath goes now,” and some say, “No” So let us melt, and make no noise, No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love. Movement of …
Continue reading "Tuesday Poem – “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning”, by John Donne"
June 22nd carries quite a bit of freight in our house this year. It's the winter solstice; it's the day they announce the finalists of the 2010 NZ Post Book Awards (and the winner of the NZSA Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry – fingers, toes and various organs crossed) and it's also …
(Chernobyl, 1986) Even the robots refuse. Down tools. Jerk up their blocked heads, shiver in invisible hail. Helicopters spin feet from disaster, caught in that upwards cone of technicide – then ditch elsewhere, spill black running guts. Not the Firemen. In rubber gloves and leather boots they walk upright, silent as brides. Uppers begin to …
Continue reading "Tuesday Poem – “Ukritye”, by Mario Petrucci"
Being an Aussie, Winter Sports weren't exactly a feature of my growing up. I was twelve before I saw snow for the first time, and in my twenties before I ever tried skiing. Which may be one of the reasons why I do love snow. Living in Yorkshire for three years meant that I even …
I'm behind the times again. (Being sick for a week will do that to you.) Carol Ann Duffy has offered her first official poem as UK Poet Laureate, called "Politics", and it's a cracker – read it here. (In case you're wondering where the title of this post comes from, it's from Prof. John Sutherland's commentary …
A Dark Feathered Art 