In  this post I am sharing a poem that focuses on the sense of sound. For the last few days I have wandered into different rooms of our house, at different times of the day. I consciously sat still and listened to the sounds around me. I recorded them in my notebook. In writing my poem I took those notes and shuffled, shaved, chopped and polished them in order to achieve my desired line order.  You might consider finding an alternative quiet place for yourself-a park, a garden or green space, a riverbank, a  valley, a shoreline and sit undisturbed for a while and listen...   It is often said ideas surround us and if we sit still for a while they will reveal themselves. My poem is quite obviously a list poem but it is also an exercise of observance. Poets need to invoke the senses, either individually, or in concert. It sharpens your observational skills. Hope you enjoy the 'sound' of my poem... Heard Around The House Sit still, Listen, Can you hear them? The sharp sl...

I am currently in the city of Darwin located in Australia's 'top end.' I am working with schools and presenting teacher workshops across this week. I enjoy working with these educators and have been privileged to work with them since 2014. Today I present some poems that owe their origins to time spent in this tropical region where the wet and dry seasons impact lifestyle dramatically. Prehistoric Predator He glides through the murky water Eyes snap-locked on his prey Silent assassin Waiting for strike time Waiting Waiting For that certain moment He pounces The water churns Blood in his nostrils Teeth in his prey Death rolling fury Away Away The victim drowns  The monster dines Before gliding away Ancient reptile Calculating Crocodile . ©Alan j Wright Black Kites Gathering Against a clear blue sky curtain Of a Darwin day Black Kites flock Soaring effortlessly On the breezes of the dry season Twisting their forked tails Dipping Wheeling Sky dancing In a...

First Line Index Poems I was recently reading 'The Writing Life' by Annie Dillard where the author made brief mention of the fact that some days she reads part of any poetry anthology's index page of first lines. These first lines were considered to possess the potential to set off a new writing direction, particularly the words that stood out as strong and suggestive of further thought and action. I pondered this action by Annie Dillard and decided  maybe, just maybe I could take this a little further... Could I use these first lines and jostle them about into a more or less cohesive list of lines that formed a poetry montage... Not every anthology has an index of first lines, it must be noted. However, I found some among my poetry collection that did and chose some from which to attempt this new challenge. The first was Roger McGough's 'You At the Back.' The second anthology was Dylan Thomas's, The Notebook Poems 1930-1934.  First Line Index Poem After Rog...

Poetry is so often related to place. Events and memories fuse together and particular places become locked in our hearts. We all have places that evoke emotional responses. They present as  recurring  thoughts. We find ourselves back in that place and thoughts spill out. The three poems I am sharing (below) are part of a much larger group of poems I wrote during my six years living and working in New York as an education consultant.  Subway Scenes Riding the subway I have a special wish That everybody had more room Then we wouldn’t HAVETOSQUISH Riding on the subway Like sardines in a can I’m pleased the air conditioning works As I didn’t bring a fan Riding on the subway Travellers one and all We ride the darkened underground And heed the station’s call Riding on the subway  We rattle, roll and shake We screech into each station Aboard our mechanical snake   © Alan j Wright Chicken Bones And A Dead Umbrella Walking on Union Street On a wet, wild, windswept day Th...

 Having recently worked on writing a verse novel centred on the life of an orphan boy living in Victorian England, I undertook a project requiring a great deal of reading research regarding life in general during this particular era. Historical accuracy was essential. Apart from supporting my writing efforts, this research extended my knowledge. It chipped away at my ignorance- and that's always welcome. A wealth of  information regarding the prevailing view of the child at that time was revealed. Children were to be seen and not heard. Discipline was often strict in the extreme. The belief being children were wilful and had to be taught to bend to the dictates of adults. In the eyes of many, the children of the poor became expedient factory fodder. They were exposed to exploitation, cruelty and danger.  Schooling for them was frequently over by the age of 11.  The poem I am sharing is based on actual accounts of the working lives of children in the factory system as...

Docupoetry Documentary, or Docupoetry poems combine primary source material with poetry writing. A number of sources may be accessed to inspire documentary poetry. Sources include: news articles  letters  photographs  diaries, journals  court transcripts  medical records  public records  non-fiction texts reports Poets can therefore access a wide range of documents brimming with poetic potential in the pursuit of such writing.  When writing a document poem, the poet may arrange lines or phrases from the source texts to create poems, convey their interpretation of the documents through original poetry, or write poems that fall on somewhere between these various approaches.  The resultant poem is therefore a hybrid creation. I find it instantly appealing.  Although poets choose many different sources and forms in creating documentary poems, many write with a common purpose: seeking social change, breaking silences, or highlighting injustic...

 As an educator and writer I appreciate the importance of sharing my writing with curious young learners. Their questions are essential in dispelling myths and misconceptions  surrounding writing. But equally important is the sharing of one's process. The journey is important, not merely the end product. The poem I am sharing today, was sparked by a photograph I noticed in a magazine supplement, attached to my weekend newspaper. It's summer in Australia, but to be honest it has not exactly dazzled so far. Some pleasant days intermingled with days of above average rain and skies of gloomy, grey clouds. Maybe my poem is inspired by wishful thoughts... The photo I found portrays a family walking along a beach close to sunset. The light is soft around them. They appear to be having family fun.  My gaze fell upon the words 'summer loving' included in a tourism advertisement on the adjoining page. I immediately cut the two items out and pasted them into my writer's notebo...

  Inspiration comes in many forms and from many places. Often it comes from merely going about our daily lives and making close observations. What did I see today that I want to respond to with words?  Inspiration can also come from what we read. It is said, you cannot be a writer/poet unless you are a reader. I strongly believe this is true. My reading life is rich and varied, quite consciously When I read 'Forever Words -The Unknown Poems' by Johnny Cash, I discovered his poetry and the poetry in his lyrics. The poems within reveal the depth of his understanding of the physical world and the emotional world.  He shares both the frailty and strength of the  human condition. As I read, I heard his unique voice and intonation. Cash's verse demonstrates for the reader his ability to reflect upon universal themes such as love, pain, freedom, and mortality. Most  people know him for his music. With these poems I got to know him for his broader talent as a poet....

Even in the middle of an Australian summer, grey days present. In door days. Days perfect for rummaging and exploring. Days made for book looks... And so this poem has arisen from searching through the books contained in my personal library. I found ephemera secreted by various readers, myself included. Such is the randomness of discovery. Go in search of treasure fellow poets. See what it sparks... Things Found Hiding In Books what motivates the hiding of ephemera among the words composed by others? the secreting of flimsy slips of memory laden paper between the pages of books. solemn offerings  in some randomly chosen volume of poetry -a recipe book,  -a mystery story… these pages capable of cocooning a secret. pages,  entrusted to hold selected offerings. these guardians patiently awaiting some future reader to come calling, rummaging perhaps. the book plays custodian across an indefinite timespan, before fortuitously revealing once more to the light a long held treasu...

 Autumnal Offerings Autumn giveaways Golden vestments Shed  Alan j Wright