Gillian Swain
That moment the lake comes into view I know I’m home despite my door being to another house this house is where I hold you this place the breathing truth of where I belong where I return these feet slip through silt pack down dirt firmer ground beneath me with every step and start and fall and scrape brush knees brush landscape prickled and soft I am amongst the trees the arc between water and scrub the light between depart and arrive home ground come find me here
Gillian Swain is from Lake Macquarie, living in East Maitland NSW. Gillian’s first poetry collection is “My Skin its own Sky” (Flying Islands Press 2019) following the chapbook “Sang Up” (Picaro Press, 2001).
She has poems published in various anthologies and journals, including ‘Poetry For The Planet: An Anthology of Imagined Futures’ (2021, Littoria Press), ‘What we Carry: Poetry on childbearing’ (2021, Recent Works Press), ‘Burrow’ (Old Water Rat Publishing, v1&2), and ‘Live Encounters magazine: Special Australia-New Zealand edition’ (May 2021) and again ‘Live Encounters Magazine 12th Anniversary edition, Vol 2’ (Dec 2021).
Gillian helps run various poetry events including Poetry At The Pub (Newcastle) and is the Co-Director and Poetry Curator of the Indie Writers Festival ‘IF Maitland’. She was recently an Artist In Residence at Lighthouse Arts Newcastle, located at Nobbys-Whibayganba headland.
Old Water Rat Publishing 