Downfall Creek Ginko

                                                               broken silence
                                                               the fall of one
                                                               golden leaf

                                                                            *

                                                               gentle breeze
                                                               the crackle of gum leaves
                                                               across the boardwalk

                                                                            *

                                                               shady fig
                                                               the silence
                                                               of empty nests

                                                                              — Lee-Anne Davie

                                                                Melaleuca
                                                                again an unseen bird
                                                                cries your name

                                                                            *

                                                                wetland pool
                                                                turns my mind
                                                                to tea

                                                                            *

                                                                Easter Saturday
                                                                a family barbecue
                                                                amuses the kookaburras

                                                                              — Trudie Murrell

                                                                  thin path
                                                                  the strangler fig tightens
                                                                  its grip

                                                                            *

                                                                 forest entrance
                                                                 lorikeets race
                                                                 against the traffic

                                                                            *

                                                                 choosing a path
                                                                 ants travel straight ahead

                                                                              — Cindy Keong

                                                                  no breeze
                                                                  grass moves
                                                                  to the rhythm of butterflies

                                                                            *

                                                                  in the creek
                                                                  moss and rust
                                                                  years apart

                                                                            *

                                                                  back to read another page
                                                                  copper-bottomed ant

                                                                               — John Wainwright

                                                                            *

                                                                              all photographs by Cindy Keong

Friday Night with Leonard Cohen

On my travels around the internet, I came across this fantastic reading from Leonard Cohen on February 14, 1966. Leonard reads his early poems For E.J.P and You Have The Lovers and performs his classic, The Stranger Song. And the superb thing is there is a link to download the performance, so you can repeat the pleasure of listening. I also came across this interview where Cohen discusses his poetry.

So, on this rainy Friday night, spend some time with Leonard Cohen… the hours will be richer for it.

Downfall Creek: a haiku sequence

                                                              river stone
                                                              we sit in silence
                                                              as the water babbles

                                                                            *

                                                               blue sky
                                                               nose deep
                                                               in a spider’s web

                                                                             *

                                                                spot of sunlight
                                                                on the forest floor
                                                                emperor butterfly

                                                                              *

                                                                  too wild
                                                                  for these pages
                                                                  autumn violets

                                                                              *

                                                                 gentle breeze
                                                                 the bare head
                                                                 of a dandelion

                                                                             *

                                                                  on the path
                                                                  of fallen leaves
                                                                  silence returns

                                                                              *

                                                                               photographs by Cindy Keong

SpeedPoets re-launches this Sunday

Brisbane’s longest running live poetry event, SpeedPoets, is re-launching this Sunday, May 1, at their brand new home Brew, located in Lower Burnett Lane in the heart of the City (check out a map here). As usual all the action starts at 2pm and to celebrate the move to our fifth home, we have invited three fine Brisbane ladies to take centre stage.

Singer/songwriter, Charity Carleton from Brisbane band, Ichabod’s Crane will perform songs from her band’s latest album, Honeydew. Head to their bandcamp site to listen to tracks from the album. And bringing the poetic noise are Carmen Leigh Keates and Michelle Dicinoski. Both Michelle and Carmen have recently been featued on the SpeedPoets Website, so you can head over there to get a hit of their words.

And let’s not forget, that you can be a part of SpeedPoets history… come along, pack a poem or two and sign up to get your slice of the spotlight in the Open Mic Section. There will also be live sounds from Sheish Money, raffles and giveaways and the free monthly zine will be there for the first 40 people through the door.

So spread the word… let’s make this one an afternoon to remember!

SpeedPoets Live @ Brew
Lower Burnett Lane, The City
2pm – 5pm
Entry is a gold coin donation

2011 Melbourne Overload Poetry Festival – Calling for Submissions

From 10 to 19 September, the Melbourne Overload Poetry Festival will celebrate ten years of bringing all things poetic to the streets of Melbourne. Overload has a reputation for pairing the experimental with the traditional, presenting them in an equal light in an accessible way.

What started as a small collective of regular, mainly pub poetry readings has grown into a 10 day festival with a national and international presence.

In 2011 they want to celebrate this evolution with your help. Overload is now calling for expressions of interest from poets in Melbourne and elsewhere in Australia who have ideas for events, a publication or CD they’d like to launch, or would simply like to read their work at Overload.

Go to www.overloadpoetry.org, download and fill out the submission form and return it to Overload before 13 May 2011. Provide as much information as possible: examples of your work, a bio, a thorough description of the event you’re planning, what kind of resources you have or need (publicity, venue, fees, etc), and if you’re coming from outside Melbourne, which dates you’re available.

Send your proposals via email to submissions@overloadpoetry.org, or by post to Overload Poetry Inc, 176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000.

Interstate and international poets please note: Overload is unable to offer any financial support for travel or accommodation. However, we will try and make the trip worth your while by offering two gigs at the festival.

New Farm Park Ginko: Trudie Murrell & John Wainwright

                                                           garden wedding
                                                           storm clouds bring something
                                                           new to wait for

                                                                           *

                                                           waiting for the bride
                                                           pageboy and crow
                                                           compare suits

                                                                           *

                                                            under the Bay Fig
                                                            a violin plays
                                                            branches dip closer

                                                                           *

                                                            long summer
                                                            boughs outstretched
                                                            check for rain

                                                                          *

                                                             under the fig tree
                                                             crested pigeons fuss
                                                             house proud

                                                                          *

                                                                          poems by Trudie Murrell
                                                                          photograph by Cindy Keong

 

                                                           chattering birds                               
                                                           remove the ear-piece
                                                           when the mobile rings

                                                                            *

                                                           there is but one poem                    
                                                           this time a black ant

                                                                            *

                                                           the woman beside                            
                                                           the pregnant woman
                                                           rubs her stomach

                                                                            *

                                                           autumn breeze                                   
                                                           nothing is still
                                                           but my heart

                                                                            *

                                                           small light
                                                           a spider on
                                                           her web

                                                                           *

                                                                           poems by John Wainwright
                                                                           photograph by Cindy Keong

New Farm Park Ginko: Jonathan Hadwen & Cindy Keong

                                                          grandfather’s roses
                                                          a spot growing
                                                          on each leaf

                                                                         *

                                                          family barbeque
                                                          teenager texts
                                                          from a separate bench

                                                                         *

                                                         wedding in the park
                                                         only half
                                                         a string quartet

                                                                        *

                                                         dishwasher can’t clean
                                                         the lipstick from the glass
                                                         things you left behind

                                                                        *

                                                         garden bare of flowers
                                                         one curling leaf

                                                                        *

                                                                         poems by Jonathan Hadwen
                                                                         photograph by Cindy Keong

 

                                                                at the edge of
                                                                the rose bed
                                                                lavender stalks

                                                                            *

                                                                roses in full bloom
                                                                the bride sucks
                                                                in her belly

                                                                             *

                                                                crowded park
                                                                two plover’s
                                                                clear a space

                                                                             *

                                                                 play date
                                                                 dogs teach their owners
                                                                 how to fetch

                                                                             *

                                                                  blisters of burnt paint
                                                                  the summerhouse gone

                                                                              *

                                                                             photograph & poems by Cindy Keong

Telling the taxi driver to drop me at Glee Books

he tells me he doesn’t read.

Reading is a waste of life he tells me
& that when they bury him

they had better do it deep & they
had better do it silent

or god help them he’ll crawl out.

New Farm Park Ginko: Lee-Anne Davie & Vuong Pham

                                                                    so lush
                                                                    the grass
                                                                    for late autumn lovers

                                                                                *

                                                                   above me
                                                                   a single red rose
                                                                   against slivers of blue

                                                                                *

                                                                   beside the croquet lawn
                                                                   a homeless man sleeps
                                                                   visitors welcome

                                                                                *

                                                                  in the colour
                                                                  of fallen leaves
                                                                  a crow feather

                                                                               *

                                                                  beneath the gentle sway
                                                                  of late autumn
                                                                  tai chi

                                                                               *

                                                                                poems by Lee-Anne Davie
                                                                                photograph by Cindy Keong

 

                                                                forgive me rose
                                                                she loves me
                                                                she loves me not

                                                                              *

                                                                public toilet
                                                                I am not compelled
                                                                to flush

                                                                             *

                                                               must be growing old–
                                                               polite chatter
                                                               at the wedding party

                                                                            *

                                                               the river has glistened
                                                               long enough
                                                               for the summer house windows

                                                                            *

                                                               fallen
                                                               jacaranda flowers
                                                               we part without regret

                                                                           *

                                                                            poems by Vuong Pham
                                                                            photograph by Cindy Keong

Another Songbird Flown Too Soon (RIP: Margot Smith)

One of the great things about being a fan of The Church has been discovering so many of their collaborators, one of my favourites, the gorgeous Margot Smith, who sadly passed away yesterday after a long battle with alcohol. Margot’s voice had that otherworldly quality, that ability to slip inside you and dance. Both her debut album, Sleeping With The Lion & her follow up, Taste are (like so many Australian albums) long out of print and sadly forgotten, but both are classics and to quote Steve Kilbey, if you can beg, borrow or burn them, you won’t be disappointed (there is a great write up by Steve about his time with Margot here as well as a few songs). There has been talk of recorded material for a third album, so let’s hope it sees the light. Another songbird, flown too soon…