Strange to be flourishing so far afield;its home is equatorial, tropical,not here, among suburban paddocks,with a straight line down to Antarctica.Yet, while silver birch weepsand quince decks boggy ground with its midwinter yellow,this Malaysian friend greets me withloud, audacious pink,asserting its brilliant right to exist,here, far from home:fruitless, pointless,its only purpose to be,to glory, andContinue reading “Werribee Dragonfruit”
Tag Archives: flowers
The Language of Flowers: For Christina Rossetti
As an Anglican myself, I have to say that our literary exports don’t get much better than Christina Rossetti. Granted, she’s in formidable company, alongside George Herbert, John Donne, William Cowper, C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot and R.S. Thomas (why did you need to have the middle initial S in order to be a successful 20th-centuryContinue reading “The Language of Flowers: For Christina Rossetti”
Thirty-Two Blessings
Gratitude begets gratitude, just as love begets love. (Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved) That I am begotten by love, Sustained That my heart beats And my feet move That the air is rich For me to breathe That love is patient, That love is kind That I can know What goodness is That IContinue reading “Thirty-Two Blessings”
August
I gather moments like raindrops, like snowdrops: these microscopic buds of spring tricked by sun to come out, one by one; I see how hesitant can be can be the grandest glimpse of things and sing. I catch the way your moments dance from distance – yetContinue reading “August”
Gratitude
…The notion of some infinitely gentle Infinitely suffering thing. – T.S. Eliot, “Preludes” I will be late for work: the traffic tells me so, and Adam’s curse run deep in roads too busy to know their name. Beaten by roadside lies the debris and dust of abandoned schedules: here someone burst a tyre, there aContinue reading “Gratitude”
Psalm: Lilies (The Cornucopia of Heaven)
After Antonio Vivaldi, “Le Quattro Stagioni – La Primavera: II. Largo” Creator God, whose praise and power are proclaimed by the whole creation: receive our morning prayers, we pray… (A Prayer Book for Australia) Consider how the lilies open – Watch them enter into light… Solomon in all his splendour wasContinue reading “Psalm: Lilies (The Cornucopia of Heaven)”
Jacaranda
Uncommonly strong, it stays purple, while elsewhere the street is lined with debris from seasons which the trees soon forgot. Confused fig-leaves turn golden, drop to the ground as rain gushes gutters and sunscreen, umbrellas, opposites, swap in uncertain hands – yet lilac and stoic at the end of my street Jacaranda declares it isContinue reading “Jacaranda”
Dusk Flower
Head dense with things beyond knowing I turn and see a fiery flower dragon-fruit-like atop green leaves swaying in the dusk and walking by I turn out of myself to praise
The Week of Cherry Blossoms
Today is something of an anniversary for me. Seven years ago, on this day, I wrote my first adult poem. I remember this because it was the last day of winter, and unusually warm. The poem was about a new crush after a long relationship had ended. I’m sure it would be highly embarrassing toContinue reading “The Week of Cherry Blossoms”
Poet #4: Christina Rossetti
Well, a new month begins: July, my favourite month of the year. And so it seems fitting, in the month of my birth, to move onto one of my absolute favourite poets, the passionate and devout Victorian poet, Christina Rossetti. I’m excited to be looking at her work this month, and I hope you’re excitedContinue reading “Poet #4: Christina Rossetti”
The Consolations of Writing 