On the old website, one year ago today: Maggie Ball’s review (on Compulsive Reader) of micromacro is very gratifying: “micromacro is an easy to read collection which presents a light, gently spaced series of poems that appear simple as they cover the Australian terrain and glide over current affairs. Look closely however and the poetry is sharper, more intense and deeper – using cutting humour and painful structures to illuminate, radiate and open the mind to other people’s pain, to the pain we cause ourselves, or to the “rosetta stone” beneath our feet.” . MORE.. …
Monthly Archives: January 2008
a new year for friendly street
Friendly Street Poets has already started off the new year with its latest newsletter. HERE. It publishes poems on the theme of New Year, including this one of mine:
Whitegoods Christmas
(On hearing White Christmas and “as the shoppers rush home with their treasures”
over the PA in the hectic anarchy of an electrical department at Westfield
Shoppingtown four shopping days before Christmas.)
These dreams are stacked in aisles, white or stainless
As promises of Love and Labour lost
The pleasure’s in the giving and it’s painless
As credit cards and time defer the cost…
The New Year fades to Old Year feeling
The Giving and the Gift both soon forgot.
You have More Stuff. But nothing’s healing.
You feel that something’s missing, don’t know what…
© rob walker, 21/12/07
The Friendly Street Year kicks off properly with its first reading for 2008 on Tuesday 5th February. Guest Reader is Amelia Walker. See Amelia’s INTERVIEW.
the julain
An interesting form invented by Julie Carter.(from my old website, two years ago, today):
“aspiring poets! Have a go at a Julain. Here’s mine:
Selfgoogling as a pastime’s quite inspiring.
Eponymous achievements will ensue –
the anticlimax is; it isn’t you…
friendly street launch
Australian poet / novellist /editor John Kinsella will officially launch Friendly Street Poets’ 32nd annual reader REWIRED and New Poets 13 at Adelaide Writers’ Week on 2nd March. I’m sorry I can’t be there. Co-editor Maggie Emmet emailed to say my poems Automatonophobia and Isaac the Unchosen will be included in REWIRED.
one year ago
In the middle of a freezing Himeji day I recall that on this day last year my poem January Drought was posted on the Australian Reader website.