tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76604664951804523542024-03-17T05:49:57.675+11:00From across the paddockpoems about lifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-3140738927702747842023-12-08T11:14:00.001+11:002023-12-09T14:50:05.907+11:00Day in town<span style="font-family: Nunito;">Driving around Collingwood<br />
retracing your time spent<br />
as a young man<br />
we found ourselves at<br />
Studley Park Boathouse<br />
<br />
we both had memories<br />
of the place<br />
with thirty years<br />
between us<br />
<br />
row boats still<br />
along Yarra's edge<br />
sunlight<br />
catching<br />
in the afternoon<br />
<br />
I wonder how many people<br />
have sat there<br />
opening their hearts<br />
sharing stories<br /></span>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-76562818681375460782023-01-16T14:38:00.009+11:002023-01-16T19:43:44.633+11:00Magnolia Tree<p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">After a year of making changes<br />I've thrown out old clothes<br /> crockery<br /> and judgements</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">screamed at my reflection<br />in the mirror<br />sat with myself<br />for the first time<br />and had a conversation<br />realised I'm not bad<br />to talk to</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">contemplated<br />getting older<br />accepted mortality<br />understood<br />what it means to die</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">reclaimed my sexuality<br />revisited my younger self<br />who never really left</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">watched the wind pass through<br />the magnolia tree<br />witnessed their flowers scorch<br />in the summer sun<br />only to rebloom again</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">(Poem from <i><a href="https://au.blurb.com/b/10891513-passion-in-verses" target="_blank">Passion in Verses</a>)</i></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-50827071306205767772022-06-21T10:18:00.003+10:002023-01-16T19:13:38.820+11:00What remained<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">Love didn't disappear<br />when we parted<br />it lingered as a memory<br />of tenderness<br />and remembered<br />moments<br /><br />it stayed with me<br />reminding me that<br />letting go<br />isn't that easy<br /><br />my mind knew the truth<br />but my heart has its will<br />it feels what it wants<br />despite me<br /><br />the ghost of our love<br />remained<br />long after I reached <br />for your hand<br />in the dark of night</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">(Poem from <i><a href="https://au.blurb.com/b/10891513-passion-in-verses" target="_blank">Passion in Verses</a>)</i></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-70693161712774827372022-04-20T14:04:00.002+10:002023-01-22T11:42:50.291+11:00Urdu lover<p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">I hold onto you<br />with the intensity <br />o</span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">f breath </span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">clinging to air<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">I don't let go </span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">and I know<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">this frightens you</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">I'm a wave that holds on<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">because I hear your call<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">to be held<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">a Jinn that looks beyond<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">into your deepest secrets<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">because there I truly see you<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">and all that is held there</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">and while you hold me<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">you tell me this cannot be<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">even though it already is</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">My Urdu lover<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">I cling to you<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">you cling to me<br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">your God cannot control <br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">that </span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">which is free </span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">and untamed</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-60743491781357436612021-09-16T19:18:00.007+10:002023-01-22T11:40:52.693+11:00Summer's end<p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">At summer's end<br />you are a miracle<br />sleeping on my shoulder<br />we are dying and dancing<br />in the soft light<br />of autumn</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">an ocean of sea and salt<br />I lick the salt<br />from your chest<br />we have dissolved<br />our heavy limbs<br />climbing like <br />grapevines</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">we can be anything<br />the roar of the sea<br />the calm dream <br /></span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">of death</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Nunito;">I am flooded <br />and complete<br />at the same time</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-61174372561664045522020-08-13T11:40:00.017+10:002021-10-21T17:08:35.102+11:00Lockdown<p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">There were better times<br />we know that now<br />as we huddle in isolation<br />telling each other<br />we're all in it together<br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">the truth is<br />we're all in it for ourselves</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">we distance from one another<br />and strip supermarket shelves<br />because death is a terrifying prospect<br />it means we could be left in the dark, alone<br />we gave up the idea of God long ago</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">our new society of fabric masks<br />are only an extension<br />of the ones we already wear<br />we're used to hiding behind multiple layers<br />they should feel natural<br />eyes, peering over the top<br />remind us of our humanity</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">we wait</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">because mother nature has other plans<br />while we quiver in death's face<br />she repairs our multitude of sins<br />now we live them from behind closed doors<br />in lockdown<br />away from judgement<br />away from peering eyes<br />we're left alone to face ourselves<br />and our darkness<br />to let mother nature do her job<br />because we know we can't<br />we had our chance and failed</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">and we wait<br />for better times<br />huddled together in our clusters<br />while the sun<br />continues to shine down on us</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;">- Melbourne, August 2020 <br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span style="font-family: Nunito;"><i>(Poem written and created as part of a spoken word video, <a href="https://www.shelleyhallart.com/2020-lockdown" target="_blank">link here</a>)</i></span></span></span></span></p><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-69684289909966496802019-10-19T21:30:00.007+11:002022-10-06T12:07:24.831+11:00Restart<span style="font-family: Nunito;"><span>You are watching me<br />
filling me<br />
<br />
I can almost hear you breathe<br />
you're that close<br />
and everything starts to float before<br />
I'm unsettled again<br />
<br />
you remind me of things past<br />
of a happier place<br />
<br />
I want everything behind us<br />
where the sun fills the dark spaces<br />
that left us empty</span><br /></span>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-11917102310961931222018-11-04T08:00:00.006+11:002021-10-21T17:11:05.770+11:00<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
Emotions run deep</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
like wild fire through her veins</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
a phoenix reborn<br />
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">(Poem from <i><u><span style="color: #000120;"><a href="http://au.blurb.com/b/8817674-my-beautiful-scars" target="_blank">My Beautiful Scars</a></span></u></i>)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-1582473531310516262018-01-20T08:59:00.006+11:002021-10-21T17:11:45.846+11:00The kookaburras<span style="font-family: Nunito;">It was just like yesterday
<br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
when we sat on your porch </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
feeding the kookaburras <br />
you folded mince </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
between your fingertips </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
and placed it on the railing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
knowing that at any moment </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
the birds would fly in<br />
<br />
it was one of those mornings </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
when the sun had come up </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
and the air was still fresh </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
with the dawn<br />
we didn’t talk a lot </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
not because we had nothing to say </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
but because the silence </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
meant much more<br />
<br />
I knew this was going to be </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
one of those moments</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
a memory that stays with you<br />
to be recollected<br />
<br />
I think you knew that too<br />
<br />
we thought it would last forever</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">
and had all the time in the world</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;">(Poem from <i><u><span style="color: #000120;"><a href="http://au.blurb.com/b/8817674-my-beautiful-scars" target="_blank">My Beautiful Scars</a></span></u></i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Nunito;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7660466495180452354.post-39498039152309051742010-09-14T10:04:00.001+10:002021-10-21T17:12:08.321+11:00Sound of rain<span style="font-family: Nunito;">If we stand here<br />
on the edge<br />
admiring the vastness<br />
of all things<br />
this eternal silence<br />
is loud enough<br />
to move mountains<br />
<br />
yet so still<br />
<br />
in a moment<br />
you are everything<br />
and all that ever was <br />
I am reminded<br />
of how it sounds<br />
when it rains<br />
<br />
(Poem from my poetry chapbook, <i>Ruminations</i>)<br /></span>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com