February 2022: Gifting

From birth, I have been surrounded by books, stories, and poetry. My dad would lay me across his knees as he sat in his study, reading poetry. At the age of six I dictated poems to my dad. I was lucky to grow up in a home with a library. As an adult, in my own home, I still have a library. My partner built me floor to ceiling bookshelves to house my collection last year. The great thing about online journals like this, is you can carry a library of poems with you everywhere you go. This is a sentiment that is explored in Lee Ellen Pottie’s poem ‘Burrow’.

I have been reading a lot of verse novels over the past few years and have become increasingly interested in the relationship between narrative and poetry. The narrative of ‘Retail therapy…’ by Lynnnette Reeves which describes the joys of shopping for Christmas and attending family gatherings in the “heat of the summer” builds to the fabulous conclusion that even in the uncomfortable “muggy weather” of summer, seeing the “Happiness” of family opening presents, is always “worth it”. This poem is a gift as it reminds us to be grateful for the time we get to spend with loved ones. This is a gift that Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad’s poem ‘A cluster of sago pearls’ is aware of as the family find themselves having a Zoom Christmas because of Covid.

‘The Last English Class’ by Julia Kaylock is another poem that tells a narrative. The visual imagery of the last stanza makes the conclusion of this poem hopeful for the future, even as the story and friendship come to an end. Kaylock gifted Sefida time and, similarly, time is gifted in Denise Antaw’s poem ‘Volunteering for Amnesty’. Brenda Saunders’s poem, ‘PEN’, is again about the gift of time as the speaker writes letters to ask that writers held by foreign governments or groups be released.

This issue contains treasures that use poetic forms in interesting ways. If you’re a writer, I hope that you are gifted with inspiration as you read poems like ‘Gifting is a gift’ by Anita Nahal. This poem is written as a series of monoku poems. Owen Bullock’s ‘Dear Mother’ is written as a letter about fond memories. A poem written in two columns, ‘Seventy-three percent’ by Steph Amir, explores the struggles many LGBTQIA+ people experience as well as the strength of this community, who “scoff at the beige, the boring mainstream”. The concrete poem, ‘Encore’ by Anne Elvey, captures the meditation that music can gift to the listener.

I enjoy being part of a community of readers and writers. I have a poetry club at school. When Covid isn’t an issue, my students and I love going to art galleries and museums and writing ekphrastic poems. I meet fortnightly with a group of Southern Highlands poets. I benefit from the rich and sometimes heated discussion in this group as we talk about grammar, imagery, structure, and meaning within each others’ poems. Even before coming on as a managing editor for Burrow, I’ve been submitting to this journal. I view this journal as another literary community that I’m part of. I love the conversational nature of the contextual essays that some of the poems are accompanied by. These mini essays make me feel like I’m sitting with the poet, listening to them read and discuss their poem.

I hope that you feel grateful as you read these poems, many of which explore feelings of gratefulness. Enjoy the 59 gifts that are included in this issue.

To purchase Phillip’s most recent collection travel over to: https://recentworkpress.com/product/cactus/

And to watch freely on YouTube his extended West Words interview & poetry reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3_gR1gefys

Rhiannon Hall (managing editor)

New Beginnings by Steph Amir

Seventy-three percent by Steph Amir

Volunteering for Amnesty by Denise Antaw

Links by Erina Booker

The gift that gives twice by Margaret Bradstock

Ashes by Owen Bullock

Dear Mother by Owen Bullock

Haiku gifts by Owen Bullock

whip-flick flog by Christine Burrows