Monday, April 5, 2010

Tuesday Poem: Facing up to It


    Facing up to it

    In this city of furrows, we fall over ourselves
    tripping down
    Devon Street, tipping down
    Bolton,
    and a return trip at such
    an angle that
    our foreheads kiss
    the pavement.

    Some days, it’s not furrowed at all,
    rather
    a flung thing that’s caught
    the wind:
    a blanket,
    a swag of kelp, newspaper balled
    in
    a good-sized fist. On

    a good day, it is
    all dimples,
    this city. Ample, it dips
    here,
    and here, and here -
    the harbour, the smile (
    the place we fall
    in.)

                            Mary McCallum

    Welcome to the second Tuesday Poem - an event shared by a growing number of poets in NZ (and some elsewhere) and begun here. Visit the other Tuesday Poets who will pop up throughout the day with their own poems, or poems they've chosen to host. It's the blogosphere's version of the open-mike night - and as stimulating and as fun.

    Up now

    claire beynon 

    harvey molloy

    helen heath  (new)

    tim jones

    cilla mcqueen - nz poet laureate - who posts monday, wednesday, friday

    fifi colston 


    ilikesweating (new)

    paradoxical cat

    kay mckenzie cooke


    vespersparrow

    pamela morrison (new)

    penelope todd

    janis freegard (new)



    updated at 11.57 pm (NZT)

    3 comments:

    Penelope said...

    Nice! I suddenly feel almost ready for my next trip to Wellington.

    Pam Morrison said...

    I've just visited wellington, and enjoyed being back in its rumpled folds. I loved this poem Mary. This city (and my home town of Dunedin) have forever spoiled me for being on flat turf.

    T. said...

    What a joyful poem! Love the alliteration and the playful format
    (although "the smile (" looks a little like a frown!).