It feels like it should be a 'hang spring cleaning' sort of poem. I'd
start with the 'dirty dishes' - great line btw and maybe some
irritation at failing to write about beauty, surrender to that beauty
- or horror, possibly depending on which way your mood swings - in the
outside world then return refreshed to the mundaneities of everyday
life.
I'm not sure about the English and Australian mentions. If you include
that it might be a more complex poem?
Roger
On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 4:22 AM, Janet Jackson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> something I'm working on. comments welcome!
>
> *maintenance*
>
> The weather mood-swings. The Australian bush and
> English gardens, jarrahs and marris and
> autumn-acorned oaks, drip and glisten in
> this morning's filtered fire
>
> The magpies carol to it,
> wagtails chirrup to it,
> black cockatoos, widewinged, soar,
> land on the barest branches and call: Maria! Maria!
> My favourites the ravens are hiding,
> waiting until later to show me their
> shined-up black-leather stealth.
>
> So much beauty is available
> and I'm writing about real birds
> like anyone does when that's what there is
> But this is as close to depression as a mind like mine can get
>
> Because I looked at something dark and kind of lost
> and I liked the smell of it in my eyesockets and I wanted
> to go off into it
>
> I leave the dirty dishes to the cockroaches
> and go out trying to see the shape of it
> in other people's faces and bodies
>
> but the dishes just wait for me
> and there's washing to hang
>
> I've been reading and reading
> trying to find the words of it
> playing and singing
> trying to hear the noise of it
>
> but there's toys to pick up
> and people wanting to love me
> and money to earn
> and spend
> on food
> and clothing
> and
>
> maintenance
>
> --
> Janet Jackson <[log in to unmask]>
> www.proximity.webhop.net (Poetry)
> www.myspace.com/poetjj (Includes occasional arts & culture blog)
>
> The Line Mine, bulletin board for Perth poetry & spoken word:
> [log in to unmask]
> groups.yahoo.com/group/thelinemine
>
> Breastfeeding info & help: www.breastfeeding.asn.au
>
--
My Stuff: http://www.badstep.net/
"She went out with her paint box, paints the chapel blue
She went out with her matches, torched the car-wash too"
The Go-Betweens
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