Poetry Publication Archives - Elizabeth Barton

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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Spillwords Presents Rain in Pirongia

The long awaited Rain in Pirongia is my latest poem to appear on Spillwords Press. It concerns legends of the mysterious Patupaiarehe which are a living part of New Zealand’s history and lore. Spillwords has beautifully captured the idea of the poem in the image above.

The Patupaiarehe Find a Voice

Pirongia is visible from Te Aroha and provided the material for the poem. Inspiration came one evening when walking by the Mokena Geyser, I caught a glimpse of the misty outline of Mt Pirongia in the far distance. The air was sharp and touched with the expectation of rain. The mood of winter descended upon me and the first impressions for a poem stirred. The place is evocative and rich in the ancient world of the Patupaiarehe who are said to dwell there.

The mountains of the Waikato, including Te Aroha, conceal the magical world of these mysterious peoples. Their preferred abode is the mountains, as the local bushmen will tell you. Once, when exploring the slopes of Maungakawa, I caught a glimpse of them. Strange figures appeared fleeting and silvery in my peripheral vision.

**A drawing,** **Dream Thicket, is a visual depiction of the elusive Patupaiarehe**

The Patupaiarehe are familiar to locals, who have heard their singing and flute song on the slopes of Te Aroha when on early morning walks high on the mountain.

A wealth of material is available about the Patupaiarehe on YouTube. This video is a personal favourite and captures the atmosphere of stories told around the camp fire. Here, ancient threads weave through the family history of the story teller, Tom Roa:

Waka Huia explores the Spiritual Beings of the Mist and their connection with Pirongia

The mighty Spillwords Press

Spillwords.com was the first e-zine to publish my poetry. The indefatigable Editor-in-Chief, Dagmara K, is a long-time supporter. You may find more about my work on Spillwords here.

After announcing the imminent publication of Rain in Pirongia, I knew the editors or art directors would choose the perfect image to accompany the poem. I could hardly contain my delight when it appeared. The picture of the night sky perfectly captures the spiritual presence of my subject. And here it is.

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The Making of Mirrored Time

Mirrored Time the new poetry collection by Elizabeth Barton.

Much inspiration lies behind my new collection of poems. Mirrored Time has a plethora of meanings, encompassing time as memory and myth. Mirrored Time is the title of the opening poem and reflects the whole work in a fabric of temporal markers. The past as myth, the future as dreams and hope, form a clockwork of symbolic journeys. Thus began the poetic quest.

Time as a Mirror

Mirrored Time is a recurring theme in my life. The future echoes the present, the prescience of future events arises from the remembered past. Within that framework lies a unique journey, an understanding of the world and one’s place in it – a hero’s journey. These ideas may have arisen from knowing that I’ve always been ‘different’ and had to find my own way in life. The hero’s journey is an idea which began in antiquity but is equally alive in the present.

Mirrored Time was a natural choice as the title of my pamphlet and refers to a dream I had when I was nineteen. In the dream, Te Aroha was my home, where I lived to a great old age. After I had died, I wandered as a ghost through the historic Domain and the mountain beyond. The mountain became my spiritual abode. I spent my childhood in nearby Matamata and then left home to travel and live abroad. I never imagined I would indeed live in Te Aroha, as my dream foretold.

An iconic clock with backward hands features in the Edwardian Domain playground, the heart of Te Aroha. This play clock perfectly pictures the idea of time travel. Or the prescience of dreams, which I wove into my poem. The poem announces the dream world in the movement of clouds, bringing the idea of sleep and dreams through the idea of a feathered duvet. Within the feathered nest of dreams, it is possible to travel to the future. Or the past.

The Retelling of Myths

The past recurs in the poetry as excursions into Classical and Celtic myth, woven around a personal Mythos of self-discovery. For example, Adonis typifies such an experience. New discoveries lead to discernment and wisdom. The rejection of certain norms draws a line between what belongs to oneself and what doesn’t, what feels right and true. Or false. In such cases, an old world recedes, and a new world awaits – as the poems Double Take and Lunar Eclipse describe. Conversely, other poems reflect a fascination with myths as story-telling, whether ancient or modern, particularly the consequences of lust – as The Moth and Pasiphae reveal.

Time and Wisdom

It takes time to acquire wisdom; time is a luxury and necessity to allow us all we wish in our allotted life. Accordingly, discernment instigates greater attention to the heart’s desire which the flagship poem, The Miner’s Triumph, amply demonstrates. It reveals how death perenially looms but recedes in the courageous embrace of one’s heart’s desire. Similarly, Christmas Voyage echoes themes of yearning and fulfilment, sidestepping death in the moment time ceases. Finally, the poem Solaris, named after the 2002 film, makes love the ultimate victor over death. The poem, which ‘glows like a posy in a window’, refers to Dylan Thomas’ great work And Death Shall Have No Dominion. The quote forms the backdrop to the film’s meaning. I made it my own by imagining myself as the poet returning from the dead to hear his poem. So life is not bound by death; it becomes illusory.

The Miner’s Triumph

Originally filmed in the Waiorongomai Valley, the flagship poem, The Miner’s Triumph, is part of my youtube collection. It appeared as part of an online poetry event: https://elizabeth-barton.co/events/

The Miner’s Triumph is the flagship poem of Mirrored Time.

In conclusion, they say at the moment of death, life flies before one’s view. The collection Mirrored Time encapsulates a parallel experience, forged shortly after my mother’s death. The work belongs to a period of my life when a diverse collection of poetry flowed from a single stream.

The Making of Mirrored Time Read More »

The Unveiling of Mirrored Time

Gasp! My long-awaited poetry collection Mirrored Time is about to go live with the Cover Reveal. Now you can step into the holy of holies and experience a halo moment with my much-awaited poetry collection. While sainthood is elusive, an engaging and uplifting spiritual sojourn is in the offing. All good things come to those who wait.

‘There is Something Almost Mythical’

The cover design perfectly encapsulates the mythos of the poetry. I chanced upon the image back in the mists of time when discussing publication with the Editor. But even more exciting is the inside cover photograph, chosen by Mark Davidson. His comments have a touch of the poetic: “There is something almost mythical about Elizabeth’s poetry, and when she chose the image, it was perfect in every sense, so there was little at all for me to add … The inner cover (below) also picked up on the hazy brightness of it all …”

A field of sunflowers drenched in the rays of a setting sun creates a suitably anticipatory atmosphere, setting the mood and drawing the reader into a magical world. The published version hides the gorgeous image behind a clutch of previews.

I can’t wait to see my book in print. Mirrored Time garnered joint Winner in the 2020 poetry competition White Label – Cinq. News first bubbled about my success here.. No, it wasn’t a Delphic Oracle – it’s now happening!

The Official Release Date of Mirrored Time

The book will also be available on Amazon Worldwide, and the official release date is the 1^st of September 2023. But you can buy a signed copy directly from me much sooner. And cheaper. With Mirrored Time, the reader will receive a selection of greeting cards featuring images of my art – the cards are left blank for your own message. I am happy to post abroad to poetry lovers in the UK and elsewhere, within the bounds of reason, I am not completely a hermit – you can reach me on my contact page. An exciting reading experience awaits you – as the publisher said, ‘This collection is one I am eager to hold’.

Greeting Cards with art by Elizabeth Barton — **The greeting cards**

The Unveiling of Mirrored Time Read More »

A Poetry Revelation

Sunset over Te Aroha as an accompaniment to my poem Desert Song.

‘The Wonderful Poetry of Elizabeth Barton’

Two new poems, Recognition and Desert Song, adorn the mighty Literary Revelations Journal and are available to read online. It’s a tremendous honour for Literary Revelations to include my work; to meet expectations was a challenge. To quote the editor, Gabriela Milton, in her mission statement: ‘We expect work that dazzles the intellect and delights the soul; work that makes feelings blossom into symphonies of love, beauty and sorrow. Interpret the silence… Be the voice of prophets. Be the soft whisper of Sakura.’ Wow, that is a calling! What a tall order. And the paraphrasing of Virgil was equally challenging: ‘Literary Revelations favours the bold and the talented.’

The soft whisper of Sakura intrigued me. Who is, or was, Sakura? After an online search, I knew it wasn’t an Anime character or the American crayon company. I concluded Sakura must be the iconic cherry blossom tree of Japan. I had imagined Sakura was some ancient goddess or great poet steeped in the mysticism of Japan.

The Journal is the online arm of Literary Revelations publishing house, which released its debut anthology, Hidden in Childhood, in January. I have two poems featured, The Moon is a Time Traveller and Nineveh. There’s more about Hidden in Childhood and Hidden in Childhood a Poetry Anthology.

Inspiration Came Like Lightning

Recognition and Desert Song are my latest poems to appear in published form. I had sent them fresh from the creative forge.

I don’t recall what inspired Recognition, but I do remember what prompted Desert Song. The poet can also be a Muse, and that is true of Gabriela Milton. I have a copy of her book, Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings. While immersed in her transcendent work, I saw myself as a desert traveller reuniting with an old lover – I was a man, perhaps Baudelaire, writing a poem to his Creole mistress. The poem then came to me in a cloud, as if dictated from some celestial source. Inspiration is a mystery and can strike like lightning. The human mind is a time machine, able to travel to past and future worlds simultaneously. Other ancient spirits can likewise converse with the mind – which is why the Greeks so valued the Muse and built a pantheon of ideals around her.

A Poetry Revelation Read More »

They Have Arrived!

One of the most cherished occasions in an author’s life is the arrival of newly published books, especially their first. It is a moment to savour, releasing freshly printed books from the confines of their secure packaging. (In truth, All Revolutions Begin This Way is not my first collection – that accolade belongs to Mirrored Time, conceived in 2020).

I waited an age for the consignment to appear after the publisher sent the order to Amazon. The books’ arrival was like a thunderclap, with a last-minute announcement from DHL by email – and synchronously coincided with the delivery of a T-Shirt I had ordered from Alien Buddha Press much later. The timing was uncanny. Both were celebrated at once.

The T-Shirt was irresistible. A friend, who purchased a copy of my book, commented the Alien Buddha smile is ‘gathering’ – warmly welcoming and inviting. It speaks of the idea of a Starseed behind the publishing company, disseminating the creative Word freely into the world. Her observations are likely spot on.

A Revolution from My Keyboard

So far, the chapbook has attracted 5-star ratings and a review.

All the books featured as part of my art exhibition Waiting for the Golden Age, held at the Whitaker Gallery, have sold. But they are available to buy at Piako Stationers in Whitaker Street and at the i-Site in Te Aroha.

Fittingly, the local i-Site proudly displays a lot of information about the Waiorongomai Valley, being a place of historical interest and looms large in my collection – naturally, my books were welcomed at the office and adorn their shelves.

My book was also available at an unlikely but attractive venue – Gayles Fashion in Thames Street, Morrinsville. Gayle has known me for a while and encourages any creative endeavour. She had offered to take a few of the poetry books just to see how customers might react. That is the way to spread the love of poetry!

Copies of All Revolutions Begin This Way were available at the Whitaker Gallery during the exhibition Waiting for the Golden Age. Every one of them sold.

Signed copies are available directly from me. My email address is on the Contacts page. I post anywhere in the world, within the bounds of reason. One thing; you’ll get them cheaper than online elsewhere, which will offset postage costs. My collection awaits the pleasure of all poetry lovers!

All Revolutions Begin This Way has arrived!

They Have Arrived! Read More »

The Alien Buddha Gets Rejected 2

An Original and Witty Collection

A new anthology from Alien Buddha Press gently subverts the genre of rejected work. Unloved poetry and flash fiction find a happy home in an exciting and witty collection, with rejection letters included. The juxtaposition of published work alongside letters explaining the reasons for rejection is both telling and entertaining. Much of the work is highly original and brings to mind a busy workshop of inventors and engineers working on a new experimental flying machine. Readers will find wings for their pleasure; poets and writers will find new ideas to fly in a wind tunnel of creative design.

The anthology earned a #1 New Release in Literary Letters on Amazon. It has also attracted two five-star reviews. I wonder what some editors who rejected the pieces would think now?

Tatuanui Roundabout finds a home

My poem Tatuanui Roundabout found a welcome place among works from everywhere else on the globe other than a small town in the Waikato. Preceding the poem is a rejection letter from a prominent NZ literary magazine. All identifying information is carefully redacted from rejection letters. It was challenging to conceal the shape and size of the magazine’s trade name – and it’s possible to see a faint impression of their logo! But who reads NZ poetry anyway? The Alien Buddha Gets Rejected is full of subtle humour – the picture of the smiling buddha bannered on all 2023 publications is perfectly apt here

Iconoclastic Poetry

Rejection is so prone to subjective judgment. A gem of a poem, How a Poet Dies, written by Cait O’Neill McCullagh, took my breath. Divinely crafted and inspired by the discovery of tombs in some obscure location, I cannot see how it failed to see immediate publication. Perhaps its iconoclastic beauty, that rows of dead poets honoured with golden tongues pressed into their mouths could all have been female, roused renunciation in modern eyes. Rather than the poem’s literary merit, it was perhaps the idea, which drew repeated rebuffs. But not all editors are myopic. The author may triumph and we may admire her work.

I love publishing projects that devote attention to ‘rejected’ works.

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