Packed Lunches

by Rhiannon Hall

the cold light bulb I selected as a writing prompt 
in a back room at the powerhouse museum 
reminded me of his broken mind 
filament out of place, a clichéd metaphor

in a back room at the powerhouse museum 
it helped me sympathise with him on a day 
my filament was out of place, a clichéd metaphor
when I was so tired and angry

it helped me sympathise with him on a day 
a day when I was sick of packed lunches 
when I was so tired and angry
and struggling to top up my opal card

a day when I was sick of packed lunches 
Edvard Munch’s The Scream came to mind
as I was struggling to top up my opal card
the sky a current of light, the kind of energy that peaks 

Edvard Munch’s The Scream came to mind
the quiet blackness of a broken man always follows
the sky a current of light, the kind of energy that peaks 
takes him to the pokies, brings him home – shamed 

the quiet blackness of a broken man always follows
I was reminded of his broken mind 
It takes him to the pokies, brings him home – shamed 
cold like the light bulb I selected as a writing prompt 

I love to attend writing workshops or just get together with friends and find a space to write when I can. This poem began out of a writing workshop at the Powerhouse Museum (The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences) run by the wonderful and inspiring Kerri-Jane Burke. Kerri-Jane had brought with her several small items to use as writing prompts before we explored the museum, gathering further ideas, words, and scribblings. I picked up a small light bulb and from there the idea for this poem began. This poem began its life as a free verse poem, which is a form that I am most comfortable in. It then experimented its way into a prose poem and finally settled in its current form, that of the pantoum. I felt that the repeating lines captured the frustration and despair that the partner of someone who is struggling with mental illness can experience.

Biography
Rhiannon Hall has been sharing her love of poetry for the past seven years through a poetry club at the high school where she teaches. She has poems published in BlazeVOX20, Burrow, Cordite Poetry Review, and has published an essay in Axon: Creative Explorations. She is a Doctor of Creative Arts candidate at Western Sydney University.