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The Voice

People tell me I have The Voice. I never thought about it until I started to read and perform poetry. But for years, I used my voice creatively without realising it. Through many incidents in my life, I trained it to become an instrument, a tool for effective expression. Singing in adult choirs helped.

The Voice Began With Flying

I learned to speak clearly and succinctly as a result of studying for the Radio Telephony Licence, which was part of my pilot training. Thanks to dedicated instructors, I learned early on speaking confidently and authoritatively over the radio admitted you through controlled airspace in the UK – and the US! Any hint of hesitation or bungling in your voice would spark reluctance in the air traffic controllers at Luton or Stansted – or Orlando – to allow you to share the same airspace as the big jets. The training paid off. While still a student pilot, I worked the Luton corridor and Northolt, and a few other restricted spaces. Accurate flying helped, too, but that’s another story.

The Voice identified me to other pilots when I was flying in Scotland. One afternoon while stooging over Perthshire, I changed frequency from Scottish Information to Edinburgh Radar. Once I announced my callsign and intentions over the airwaves, a mellifluous voice greeted me, “Hello, Elizabeth”. No Golf-Bravo-Xray-Oscar-Foxtrot, which is a typical British callsign, but an address by name. The unidentified pilot recognised my Kiwi accent at once. Of course, it stuck out like a sore thumb amongst an ocean of Scottish brogues, some indecipherable to my ears. This particular greeting came from south of the Border. I wagered he was one of the former instructors or pilots from Lydd Airport and had bagged a swish flying job with some local airline. Naturally, I returned his salutation. It was quite informal and strayed outside the bounds of RTF protocol.

Cumbernauld Bingo Hall

I had a secret evening job where The Voice came out in full play. I was a Bingo caller at the local Bingo hall. Everyone there knew I flew by day. No one at the flying school knew I stood on a stage with a microphone by night calling out numbers. I landed the position precisely because of my voice, honed by hundreds of hours flying and working the radio. Fellow Bingo staff loved my accent. One girl wanted my voice recorded on her mobile phone, to announce to callers, “Put another shrimp on the barbie”. Although that expression is not typically Kiwi, and in fact has the rattle of chains about it, I obliged. The message became her voicemail! She played it over and over to raucous laughter. Fortunately, the infatuation with foreign accents was mutual. I relished the musical lilts of so many different Scottish accents.

Cumbernauld Bingo Hall acquired a reputation for being exceptionally lucky. Naturally, it drew players from all over North Lanarkshire and every night the place was packed. On one of the few nights I worked the floor, a woman insisted I stand right beside her for the entire evening. She believed I was a walking good luck charm. After all, the customer comes first, and I willingly obliged. I only left her side for toilet breaks or to get more change for the players. Her belief paid off. She walked away that night £800 richer.

I was almost as impressed and mused on ways to rub some of my magical luck onto me. But I digress! One story unfolds into another, and so on. Now to fast-forward to the present.

Waterfall Waiorongomai

I recorded the poem Waterfall Waiorongomai to join the thematic suite of poems I began in All Revolutions Begin This Way. My voice caught the ear of Sanjeev Sethi, who remarked about it on X after watching the video.

Waterfall Waiorongomai, the poem

How intuitive! Sanjeev wondered if I was a professional voice-over artist. His own words say it best.

Naturally, I struggled to indulge his interest after suggesting I would upload a recording of my voice-over for the Te Aroha Dramatic Society’s production of Dirty Dusting. Firstly, I couldn’t reduce the file, and finally decided I didn’t want to regale his ears with my Big Boy impersonations. The Waterfall poem was sufficient.

However, for the curious, there’s the YouTube recording of the Voice introduction on the Events page.

The Flying Years

As a parting word, the top image depicts my successful flight in ‘Pegasus’, a privately owned aircraft at Tauranga Aero Club, in which I flew for the New Zealand CPL flight test. It was 2013 and feels like a lifetime ago.

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Waiting for the Golden Age

Waiting for the Golden Age is the title of an art exhibition I staged in Te Aroha in 2023. It was a personal highlight in a gloriously productive year.

The Golden Age is a perennial theme. The title for the exhibition, Waiting for the Golden Age, began with an iconic work I had produced, hinting at the idea. The concept of a Renaissance or Golden Age has haunted me since I was 15. I envisaged a renaissance in the arts, which I discussed in interviews a few years later. Wonderful possibilities opened before me to study art in the UK which generated a flurry of interest. That is a story for another time!

Vision of a Golden Age

Something like a Golden Age first arose in my mind when I was nine (or twelve!) and staying at the farm of family friends in the wilds. They often invited us there, in the heart of the Waikato. The place still persists in memory, an idyllic retreat. I used to roam over gorgeous green hills and valleys, beguiled by spectacular views of farmland. The countryside lit my imagination. On one such occasion, near sunset, I viewed the horizon and envisaged a happy, golden world of the future.

The vision grew and impressed itself upon me. Centred on the West, and particularly a future America, I saw a thriving, prosperous world unfolding. It was a momentary snapshot, belonging to a far off time, yet steeped in timeless nostalgia. The light cast by the last rays of the sun somehow vivified and enhanced my impression. At the time, I did not question or judge what I saw. It was simply a moment of reflection.

The impression and accompanying joy remained with me all these years. I never thought I would see such a world in the making. I thought it projected well beyond my lifetime. In fact, I feel it links with the ideas I aired in my first blog, 2023 is the Year. 2023 again looms as a temporal key! In the blog, I envisioned an exciting future based upon a dream when I was 17.

The Golden Age has been on everyone’s lips for the last two years, especially concerning developments in America. Trump hails the beginning of a golden future, and has made the theme his own. Could I have had a glimpse of the future all those years ago? I mention the US as an aside – purely as a marker in a personal journey. Life becomes charmed indeed when the outer world begins to reflect the field of internal impressions.

The Artist’s Retelling of the Vision

The idea for the exhibition was both a wish and a future imagining. By building a visual library around the theme of a Golden Age, I could perhaps hasten its manifestation. That is why visual art is a powerful tool. And why I expected a renaissance in the arts in the future. Art based on forgotten concepts such as sacred forms and geometry, which embraced the aesthetic of beauty, would emerge. Art which expressed the artist as a free spirit, able to realise visionary schema forged from spiritual journeys.

I was waiting for the Golden Age. All things come to those who wait.

The Exhibition Opening

We came dressed in gold. The opening or private view grew into a lively gathering. Old loved works, etchings, sold. As part of the exhibition, copies of All Revolutions Begin This Way were available to buy – all of them sold.

An earlier poster design for the art exhibition

Some of the art on show at the exhibition, including rose etchings which sold. — **Some of the art on show, including the Rose etchings which sold.**

The Events page has more about the exhibition.

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The Filming of Abandoned

The Abandoned Bushman’s Hut

The filming of Abandoned was a memorable and unexpected spiritual adventure. I was determined to record the poem before the place which inspired it became inaccessible. Abandoned is part of the Waiorongomai poems from All Revolutions Begin This Way. The collection opens with these poems, exploring the history of Waiorongomai and the search for gold.

The poem stands out in a preview by A. Pelletier, featured on the back cover of the book. He describes it as a ‘dilapidated cottage’ based upon the poem’s depiction. At the time of writing it was. Since then, the old bushman’s hut has become virtually unrecognisable, now a complete ruin covered in towering ferns. I originally wrote the poem six years ago! Our last visit was in 2019, when we chanced upon the relic while on another, more ambitious quest.

Preview of the poem Abandoned featured on the back cover of All Revolutions begin This Way — **Preview for the poem Abandoned**

The Return

Our return to the abandoned hut brought joy and fresh discovery. The emergence of an inner world woven into the fabric of nature left an impression on our being which lingered for days.. Equally, I felt we we had left some kind of imprint in the places we passed. A resonance of location became a key which we could unlock with memory. On the way to our desired destination, I noticed the absence of the Portals which I had sensed previously. Especially at the river crossings where the frisson or shimmer of air indicated their proximity. Or so I thought.

Elusive Music

While I was filming on my own, I heard music drifting up from the river below. It intrigued me. It sounded like live concert music, but far away and elusive. Flutes and voices. It could have been a Bach chorale. The sound wasn’t tinny, like it would if belched from a mobile phone in a public place or from a passing tramper. That was in fact my first impression. that someone was walking the track below with a device playing. I expected a visitor to come blundering up the track in the next few minutes. Our precious enclave would no longer be a secret!

But no one came. I noticed interesting orb effects in some of the photographs I took while I could hear the strangely beautiful music.

**The curious orb effects in a liminal setting**

I called out to my film editor and fellow adventurer, Mr Possum, ‘Can you hear that music?’ He heard nothing.

More Mysterious Effects

Other anomalies occurred. It was impossible to get the camera in focus for filming. It would flick in and out of focus on a whim. Videos I loved were unusable! Misting effects and distortions of time and place recall similar experiences an author describes in his book Brigantia: a Mysteriography. The book is out of print, but its mysteries are curiously relevant. A fairy shoe kept in a cabinet in a Yorkshire residence was unphotographable. It always appeared on film as if sheathed in cloud. No matter the angle. or lighting, it eluded any photographer. It took us two visits to get usable footage for the video.

During the second visit, we both heard laughter drifting up from the river below before crossing it to reach the path on the other side. I bemoaned the idea that we might encounter bathers or explorers on our secret path, but on reaching the water’s edge, no one was to be seen anywhere!

Later, it occurred to me we may have passed through the Portals into another world, slightly out of phase and displaced from the place with which we were familiar. Filming Abandoned unveiled an unforeseen magic.

**Filming Abandoned proved an elusive quest.**

Finally, with much editing wizardry, we produced something close to the original vision.

And here it is, the published YouTube video.

More about the collection All Revolutions Begin This Way can be found on previous blogs, here and here.

The Books page provides a link for purchasing the book – or contact me directly for a signed copy.

The Filming of Abandoned Read More »

The Red Knight

The Red Knight Rides Out

A poem written in a fertile period, between 2018 and 2020, The Red Knight joined a collection which became
Song of Abraxas. I had hidden the poem away for six years! I decided to allow it into the light and sent the poem to Spillwords.com.

After a suitably suspenseful wait, I received wonderful news. The editors accepted the poem for publication and furthermore, selected it as a Featured Post. A platform given to works of merit in the eyes of the editors, the Features enjoy a preferential place on their website.

Published on the 11th of March, its impact was immediate. The editorial team chose an image which conveyed brilliantly the poem as I envisioned it. I knew they would find an eye-popping visual to accompany my work and so I happily left it in their creative hands.

Upon publication The Red Knight took prominence and was trending at No. 1 for two days – a long time in the frenetic traffic of an online journal. It proudly sat among the popular posts for over a week.

The Red Knight Trending No.1 on Spillwords

Author of the Month Nomination

The poem’s popularity continued and towards the end of March I received fantastic news. I was one of seven writers nominated as Author of the Month. Spillwords.com hosts the works of hundreds if not thousands of authors worldwide. So it is no small honour to receive such a nomination. It is a terrific platform on which to showcase original work. Their vast library of fabulous images and literary impact makes it an ideal website to reach a huge readership. I have a digital gallery of poems amassed over the years, thanks to Spillwords.com continued support of my work, which you may find here.

And there is an introduction to Spotlight on Writers on the ‘About Me’ page of my website.

What Inspired the Red Knight?

It is one of those poems which came upon me like a dream. Its medieval character reflects the manner of its inception. Alchemical; transcendent; laden with symbolism. I defined The Red Knight thus: The poem describes a kind of medieval fantasy in which the poet faces an implacable foe named as the Red Knight. The poem is about ultimate victory over one’s fears or perceived limitations. You may read the poem here.

The Red Knight in an Earlier Incarnation

Back in a darker time when Europe was forced into Lockdown, I produced a YouTube video of an earlier version of the poem. It was part of a project to bring together poets worldwide in collaborative online projects. Since its publication on Spillwords.com, it has enjoyed renewed interest!

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Maui Catches the Big Kahuna

The Making of Maui

The video creation for the poem Maui Catches the Big Kahuna was a tremendous adventure. The subject was perfect for ocean vistas and crashing waves, providing a perfect backdrop for Maui’s storyline. We spent a lot of time on Waihi Beach, filming in all weathers.

Waihi Beach in one of its many moods, setting the scene for Maui Catches the Big Kahuna — **Waihi Beach in one of its many moods**

At the beginning of the video, I am walking up the beach in a howling gale. The inbuilt microphone in the camera was not up to the boisterous elements, so I recorded my voice over the footage in the quiet confines of the studio. It took a lot of coordination, lip synching over the video and tweaks from the technical wizard, Mr Possum, to perfect the timing. The result was near seamless.

Serendipitously, a solitary wind sailing surfer appeared in the background in the middle of filming, which was miraculous. Here was our Maui, photo-bombing the video in a stroke of impeccable timing. He appears in the middle section of the final video, synchronously woven into the poem.

Video capture of wind surfer in Maui Catches the Big Kahuna — **The serendipitous moment the wind surfer appeared**

We did much of the storyboarding in a nearby café, sheltering from lashing wind and rain. As a result of our activities, one of the waitresses there was curious to know what we were up to! After much quaffing of Spy Valley Sauvignon and sampling seafood, we were ready to turn vision into video.

It took months. From inception with the original poem, to the final filmic creation on YouTube, was an inspiring and challenging journey. I enjoyed showcasing the video at a recent Poetry Event at the Pumphouse Theatre. The video is available to view on the blog.

The Origin of Maui Catches the Big Kahuna

No one will ever know the initial prompt – the poem sprung out of a terrible realisation which unfolded as some perverse joke. The reference to the word Kahuna provides a clue. Who did Maui catch, who saw himself as rather important? I followed the vision, as if viewing a film in helpless wonder. So many things fell into place!

The title for the poem literally appeared before me, like smoky writing on a wall. Initially, the poem settled upon me like a pre-migraine weight (only I don’t get migraines); it felt like that fuzzy brain that comes before stormy weather. The Muses churned in the background. Then the body of the poem followed like velvet carpet bombing my mind. I think I wrote it in a day.

The Test Flight with the Dragonflies

I introduced the Dragonflies Writers Workshop in a previous blog, Flight of the Dragonfly, At the next Zoom meeting, I dared to air the poem. It was perfect for the theme of the next session: Myths. I had to dive in. After reading it, the participants reacted with interest and intrigue. They quickly divined there was much more hidden beneath the surface. The truth told in slant, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson, became a topic in itself. The poets in the seclusive Zoom space knew more about the driving force behind Maui than anyone in the outside world! It was like being at confessional, but without the spectre of sin or expiation.

Clothed in the actions of an iconic mythic figure, the poem detailed an incredibly personal journey in which symbolic ciphers will not be decoded for a long time. All I will say is that the poem’s completion determined the difference between life and literary death. Poetry is the lifeline.

Eventually, Maui Catches the Big Kahuna surfaced on the Flights E-journal in Issue Ten. What a journey! The video was a continuation of that journey and followed much later.

And here is the video. Enjoy!

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The Best of Alien Buddha 2023

Here it is! The Best of Alien Buddha 2023 encapsulated in a single volume, showcasing the best authors.

What a surprise! My poem The Reckoning is among an impressive list of works in the Collection. The Best of Alien Buddha is an annual anthology which showcases the brightest talents of any year, and the choice of the Editor. Red sent me a proof including my poem The Reckoning from All Revolutions Begin This Way. All I had to do was nod my approval for editorial purposes. It was an unexpected honour seeing my poem appear among a plethora of works in a Collection of some 400 pages.

The Reckoning first showcased in March 2023 in Alien Buddha Zine #49, as a preview of All Revolutions Begin This Way. It was perhaps a foreshadowing of its later appearance in a compilation of best works.

The Inspiration

The poem came to me while exploring an area in the Waiorongomai Valley, a precipitous incline above the New Era Battery. Daylight was fading as we, intrepid explorers, picked our way down a track designated for ‘fit trampers’. I had to inch my way down backwards. The close proximity of earth, its pungent, loamy odour, and the lack of sunlight provided the materia which eventually forged the poem. I was transported to times and places some 24,000 years ago.

Later, I realised I had become akin to an Oracle, able to view the past and present simultaneously. What I envisaged alluded to some ostensible mystery promulgated by an article of archeological interest in the UK. The writer desired to weave allure around the topic, particularly the significance of ochre smeared bones. In an instant, I had penetrated the veil and saw many lives unraveled before me. The meaning of all the actions of those who lived then, and now, fell into my lap.

A river scene on the way to the New Era Battery, which provided the inspiration for the poem The reckoning — **Setting the scene for The Reckoning**

As Emily Dickinson said, poetry tells the truth in slant. It is not necessary to state bald facts. The implied, the alluded-to, the simile or metaphor, provide welcome descriptive vehicles for poetry. Their meaning becomes all the more cogent and penetrating.

The juxtaposition of time and place between an abandoned gold mine in New Zealand and some far-flung place in Celtic Britain jarred. It could not have been more unlikely – or could it? That is perhaps a question to explore in a future poem.

The Delphic Oracle

Further reading led me to some fascinating discoveries about the Oracle. I began knowing nothing. The descent down the New Era track unearthed dark insights I never knew were possible facts. In the very early days, circa 8th Century BC, there was no temple yet built at Delphi. The Oracle was lowered into a dark earthy pit and there, inhaling sulphureous fumes from the bowels of Gaia, made contact with visions of past and future. I inhaled the raw earth in my descent and connected with the ancient world.

Scenes which lead to the New Era Battery, and which furnished the inspiration behind The Reckoning, published in ABP Best of 2023.

In the realm of mystery there is no separation of time or place. Connections work unhindered and create unexpected magic.

**The poem The Reckoning as it appears in the Best of Alien Buddha**

All Revolutions Begin This Way is available to buy here.

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An Evening of Poetry at the Pumphouse Theatre

The poet Elizabeth Barton at the Pumphouse Theatre.

And what an evening it was! A small but appreciative audience attended my showcase of poetry and videos, presented in an interview style by the ebullient host Mags Delaney.

An evening of poetry at the Pumphouse Theatre with the brilliant host Mags Delaney.

Creative Talks 2024

The Pumphouse Theatre has been hosting a series of creative talks throughout 2024. Creatives from all walks of life have already appeared on stage for the events.

I was thrilled to participate as a poet on the evening of the 20th of May. The Events page of my website announced the occasion in anticipation.

How It All Began

The involvement with The Pumphouse began when I attended a celebration of poetry in October 2023 on the theme of Love, Peace and Protest. As an introduction, I emailed the host with three poems in the hope of reading them at the event. Mags Delaney accepted my work, with the invitation to come to The Pumphouse Theatre in Takapuna.

The Theatre was formerly a water pumping station and has reincarnated as a performing arts venue, its heritage carefully preserved. Situated in Killarney Park overlooking Lake Pupuke, it is an attractive site for all forms of theatre, providing much inspiration. It lies below a secluded street not far from the busy centre of Takapuna. The prominent chimney is visible from the main streets, making the venue easy to find. As we arrived early, we took the opportunity to explore the grounds overlooking the lake.

The Pumphouse Theatre on the shores of Lake Pupuke. — **On the shores of Lake Pupuke**

The Stage is Set

Following an afternoon of poetry performance in the intriguingly situated Coalbunker, Mags invited me to present an evening of my poetry as part of the Creative Talks for 2024. May 2024 was a long way off then, but time flew very quickly. Preparation entailed sending Mags several of my YouTube videos which she cunningly set up as an integrated part of the stage production. It was bound to be an entertaining evening.

We – being my husband and I – planned the outing well in advance, booking a night at the Ibis Hotel in Ellerslie, getting into the mood by arriving early from Te Aroha and checking in comfortably before the evening kicked off. We dined beforehand in the Ibis Café and set out in torrential rain to the Pumphouse in Takapuna. Fortunately, the rain did not deter the number of attendees.

During the course of the evening, one of the videos which roused much interest was Maui Catches the Big Kahuna. The poem originally appeared in Flights Issue 10, courtesy of Flight of the Dragonfly. A blog covers the publication of my poems in that Issue in more detail.

Maui Catches the Big Kahuna, making a splash at the poetry evening.

The video Maui Catches the Big Kahuna featured as part of the Creative Talks poetry evening.

After some forty minutes of poetry readings and video presentations, the audience participated with questions and anecdotes. Afterwards, we gathered for tea and refreshments. A few of the attendees bought copies of my poetry books, Mirrored Time and All Revolutions Begin This Way, which was a happy bonus. While the rain thrashed down, we mingled in the warm seclusive space of the Coalbunker. It was a most enjoyable evening.

Before leaving to face the elements, our delightful host presented me with a small leaving gift. In it was a card expressing her thanks.

A delightful parting gift as a greeting card depicting a Watercolour of the Pumphouse, presented by the host.

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Introducing Alien Buddha Zine #62

The new Alien Buddha Zine #62 came out in May. How time has flown! I have three poems included, two of which have never seen the light of day. They are The Black Sun and Glow Worm Matariki. The third, Shallow Grave is one of my favourite poems and made its debut in an online journal, Amphora. Somewhere back in the mists of time, Amphora published its third issue, Our Own Mythologies in which the poem featured.

Here, it is born anew and correctly titled. I’m looking forward to reading the publication of Alien Buddha Zine #62! This trio of poems was originally intended for a collection Where in the World is the Alien Buddha? The anthology selected one poet from every country. I threw my hat in the ring as I had not seen any represented from New Zealand. Not as yet. The editor came back to tell me another New Zealand poet had got there before me. His name was just not up in lights. But why not submit to ABZ#62 instead? So, I did.

The First New Zealand Poet

In spite another poet pipping me at the post, I bet I can still safely boast I’m Alien Buddha’s first New Zealand poet. All Revolutions Begin This Way, published in January 2023, preceded the anthology by more than a year. It is unique in its mythic retelling of New Zealand’s gold mining past. As an aside, I am also the first New Zealand poet to have works grace the pages of Flights E-Journal, Hedgehog Poetry Press, The Hooghly Review, and possibly Literary Revelations. The only country yet to publish my oeuvre is New Zealand!

Of course, both Glow Worm Matariki and Shallow Grave have mythic connections with my home country as the reader will discover on opening to page 37 where the poems appear. I won’t let the cat out of the bag just yet! The Black Sun has no direct geographical reference to my place of birth. But its inspiration and esoteric threads are deeply interwoven with my life here.

An excerpt from the featured poem The Black Sun. — **An excerpt from the poem The Black Sun**

Alien Buddha Zine #62 is available to buy here.

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The Hooghly Review Takes Centre Stage

The Hooghly Review takes centre stage as their latest publication trends on X and Grok crows ‘Global talent takes centre stage’: read it on X.

And what talent! 400 pages of richly inventive work, from playwrights, authors of flash fiction and short stories to poetry. The Hooghly Review is a feast. And it’s all available to read here.

I’m very excited to have a new poem included, Icarus Flies. It’s an honour to share my work with a wealth of talent. I managed to squeak in before an early sudden deadline – the Hooghly Review is madly popular and drew an avalanche of submissions. It was a lolly scramble to get work in, let alone accepted.

About the Hooghly Review

The magazine is an exciting new publication from India, with an eclectic approach and international reach. Its popularity is evident from the accolades it attracted in 2023.

I cannot remember how I stumbled upon the Magazine – possibly cruising on X, which is where I usually find networking and publishing opportunities. Prompted by a hunch, I decided to throw my hat in the ring and before long received a friendly email from the editors to say they were willing to take Icarus Flies.

Icarus Flies – What inspired the poem?

The inspiration would make a story in itself! Essentially, it’s a take on the rumours of a Stock Market crash. The hero of the poem, Icarus, is some hapless financier who finds himself down on his luck. Vivid tales of doomed investors leaping from buildings swelled the Internet. My Muses leapt upon the idea, galvanized by the discovery that Sappho was not only a celebrated poet who supposedly threw herself from atop a cliff. She is also a little known asteroid who maps the heavens with clues for the vicissitudes of the Stock Market. She is the fear and loathing creeping in the collective consciousness governing the impulse to strew ruination in finance. The Muses relished the idea – and being Greek in looks and temperament, got to work.

The Muses’ Torment

For a week my Muses harangued me with chortling ribaldry. It was the underpants scene, I’m sure. Imagine two Muses, dressed in flowing chitons and gleaming curls, sashaying into my studio, snorting with suppressed laughter. Like girls. The banter between them generated the poetic material.

I had no peace until I wrote the last stanza of the poem, by which time I was equally mirthful. It’s not that the poem is especially funny. But the Muses have a quirky humour which is impossible to describe. Except that it’s madly infectious and by the end I saw the joke. Sappho is by some divine prank the instigator of the consequences of financial greed. The lovers’ leap so beloved of the poet takes on a bizarre new meaning.

Without further ado, I present the poem as it appears in Issue 3:

And finally on an upbeat note, one of my poetry heroes, Sanjeev Sethi, sang praises for my poem.

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Remembrance – a Sestina

Reflections upon a poem

Remembrance is the title of an introspective Sestina I was inspired to compose. The impetus to create a Sestina was Philip Muir, who is the brains behind Poetry Meetup and Workshop in Auckland.

As I had never attempted a Sestina, he soon provided the catalyst to try the form. I used a template he suggested. I chose the six keywords which combined, provide the basis of an unconventional poetic idea: truth, thought, nostalgia, reflection, beauty and death. Soon, I uncovered a world in itself woven with concepts which effortlessly unfolded. It was as if I had found the poem under a hedgerow, and all I had to do was reveal its content, teasing it from the bramble in which it was hidden.

In the words of a fellow poet

Having completed the work to a sufficient level of satisfaction, I sent Philip a copy. Below is his reply. A fabulous wordsmith, Philip shed fresh light upon my thoughts which stimulate further enquiry and stand on their own:

‘I’ve read through Remembrance a few times and find it very moving as a whole. It certainly invokes the feeling of timelessness that in many ways defines remembrance. It really is a perfect topic to fit into a sestina, with the constant restatement of the 6 key words emphasizing their importance, and the different contexts in each stanza demonstrating the many ways that those core concepts can influence us when we take a moment to actually pause and remember.

The Key Word

I’ve found that the first key word used in a sestina imposes itself as the key word throughout the poem. The same is true (excuse the pun) in this one. My first thought when seeing that you had used the word ‘truth’ was that it was quite jarring with the concept of remembrance, because I have always seen remembrance as a subjective experience in which truth is not a primary concern.

Life, death and sacrifice

This is especially relevant if that person’s death was for us, so their life is so much a part of us. This could apply to remembrance of war or any other situation, such as a person sacrificing their life or their health in service of another, and in the even bigger picture, Jesus dying. This has fundamentally changed my view towards what remembrance is.

In conclusion; truth, thought, nostalgia, reflection, beauty, death. I think reading this poem would impact any reader.’

The final journey to publication

Once complete, Remembrance was originally offered to Hedgehog Poetry Press as part of the Cult of the Spiny Hog Challenge, Looking Out, Peering In. Unfortunately, the project never materialised – who knows? It may one day appear.

Later, the poem formed part of my Collection All Revolutions Begin This Way, available here. Its mood perfectly fits the nature of the many journeys in the work.

The poem Remembrance

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