THE SECULAR WORLD

Assembling a poem on Southern Highland tradies admiring dawn for Inkerman & Blunt's new anthology of secular poems. Let's see what becomes of it. LJ, June25 2014.

JOURNALISM IS NOT A CRIME

Peter Greste sentenced to 7 years jail for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Are you bloody kidding? What a sham. What a disgrace. On Twitter, Mike Carlton is calling for the expulsion of the Egyptian ambassador and a change in our diplomatic/trade relations with Egypt. Not a bad idea. I hope international pressure forces the Egyptian government to somehow reverse their decision. LJ, June 24 2014.

QUITE POSSIBLY THE GREATEST AUSTRALIAN ALBUM EVER PRODUCED

AT THE BASE OF PLUMWOOD MOUNTAIN

The following poem was shortlisted for the next issue of Plumwood Mountain. Sooty Owls are one of the Australian birds that most impress me. Charcoal-grey with white spots, they favour valleys sporting dense eucalypt woodlands, are rarely seen, offer up falling bomb calls and shifting trills, possess massive dark eyes and intimidating talons. Not a bird you'd want to piss off. The first Sooty I ever saw was in the Devils Coach House at Jenolan Caves, one of the most sublime/gothic places in NSW. The poem here is factual and from an experience in 2012. I dedicate it to an old mate who's a fine birder.

SOOTY OWL
For Steve Edwards

As you had never met
a Sooty Owl before,

I guided us to Kioloa's
thinning upland reaches

fifteen minutes after
the horizon gulped daylight,

targeted a knotted gully, cast
a long line of Sooty-mimicry

into bleeding emerald gloom
for ten shivery minutes,

slowly reeled in everything
you depended upon.

LJ, June 19 2014.

FIONA WRIGHT

Sydney poet Fiona Wright visited school last Thursday and shared many insights and anecdotes with the Yr 11 Standard English cohort who are studying five poems from her terrific collection Knuckled. She also spent time with my two Extension 2 girls, both of whom are penning poetry. The students dig her work. We were privileged to have her visit. LJ, June 14 2014.