Henry VIII | Meynnart Wewyck circa 1509 Turns out King Henry VIII wrote some poems in his spare time. Or to be more precise, lyrics, as most of his poems were also designed to be sung and played. Some of the lyrics were collated in the Henry VIII Manuscript circa 1522 along with other court … Continue reading Alas! what shall I do for Love? | King Henry VIII #poem
There is nothing new or surprising about sharing such an iconic poem at this time of year. But it has been on my mind the past few weeks. Every time we drive to the mountains, I find myself saying 'tis the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' under my breath, combining two popular seasonal lines … Continue reading To Autumn | John Keats #Poetry
I have been reading (and loving a lot) Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the War by Francesca Wade. Last week I featured a poem by the first woman, H. D. and I had hoped to do the same for each of the five woman. But Dorothy L. Sayers poetry was way too … Continue reading One Girl | Sappho #Poetry
Strand-Hornskulpe (Glaucium Flavum) – Gelber Hornmohn – Sea Poppy – Yellow Horned Poppy H. D., also known as Hilda Doolittle (1886 Pennsylvania - 1961 Switzerland), probably has one of the longest bio's on the Poetry Foundation site I have ever seen! I'm currently reading Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars by … Continue reading Sea Poppies | H. D. #Poetry
Mr Books and I recently enjoyed a roadtrip through rural Victoria and NSW to visit relatives we hadn't seen for over a year. The journey between Echuca and Rutherglen allowed us to see two of the silo art installations popping up in various country towns across the two states in recent years. Jimmy Dvate has … Continue reading Parrots | Rex Ingamells #1936Club
Returning home after a journey is always a little weird. I'm struggling to let go of that wonderful feeling of being on the road, with nothing but unhurried time up my sleeve and where to eat tonight, the most pressing thing on my mind. Mr Books and I love exploring the back ways and byways, … Continue reading A Poem For A Thursday #HomeAgain
‘we are strong, we are beautiful and we should be proud of our culture, our stories, our languages.’ – Danzal Baker (aka Baker Boy) Homeland Calling is a collection of poems created from hip-hop song lyrics that channel culture and challenge stereotypes. Written by First Nations youth from communities all around Australia, the powerful words display … Continue reading Homeland Calling | edited by Ellen Van Neervan #poetry
I didn't think that I would have time to join in Dewithon this year, but a chance hearing of part of a Byrds song on the radio (perhaps they played it on the 1st March for a reason?) led me down a Welsh rabbit hole. This post is what I discovered. Idris Davies was born … Continue reading Gwalia Deserta XV | Idris Davies #Dewithon
Thanks to the 2015 Stella Prize, I picked up Ellen van Neervan's book, Heat and Light to discover the most extraordinary and eclectic collection of stories. I still think about them five years later. So I was thrilled when they published a book of poetry entitled Throat last year. It did not have an easy … Continue reading Throat | Ellen van Neerven #Poetry
Dearly: Poems by Margaret Atwood was a book I savoured slowly over the Christmas/New Year period. I tucked the lovely slim volume into my work backpack to read one or two before work over my morning coffee, or to take with me to lunch. I would read a few more each time, sometimes rereading lines, … Continue reading Dearly: Poems | Margaret Atwood #Poetry
2019 was the International Year of Indigenous Languages:It is through language that we communicate with the world, define our identity, express our history and culture, learn, defend our human rights and participate in all aspects of society, to name but a few.Through language, people preserve their community’s history, customs and traditions, memory, unique modes of … Continue reading Kindred | Kirli Saunders #Poetry
Sketch of Laura as Venus C1444 Early in chapter six of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the suitor, Pietro Crespi is wooing Amaranta. He 'would arrive at dusk, with a gardenia in his buttonhole, and he would translate Petrarch's sonnets for Amaranta. They would sit on the porch, suffocated by oregano … Continue reading The Fifteen Sonnets of Petrarch #Classic
