Creating platforms

Creating platforms
opening public spaces
public dialogues 

Memories of towns

Memories of towns
sent to myself on postcards
places with ideas 

One stray coffee ground

One stray coffee ground
at the bottom of my cup
bitter zing to close 

Hidden in your gut

Hidden in your gut
your own barometer
start paying notice 

Our drought has been long

Our drought has been long
passenger of my passage
please water my roots 

You become the noun

You become the noun
a father to your children
by doing the verb 

Shaping energies

Shaping energies
your responsibilities
as a musician 

Don’t stray from the path

Don’t stray from the path
be confident in knowing
the journey is life 

Life as an artist

Life as an artist
my success is obvious
I sleep when I want 

An unblinking eye

An unblinking eye
dinner served with a question:
Do fish have feelings? 

My poem is a prayer

My poem is a prayer
it’s energy is heartfelt
honouring my thoughts 

Specific image

Specific image
an ending handed to me
a path to follow 

Heard over the fence

Heard over the fence
angry old man radio
righteous opinions 

Cutting yet astute

Cutting yet astute
our critics offer insights
if we can hear them 

The club in my dream

The club in my dream
became a department store
bought a cymbal toy 

After carrying

After carrying
we both had stains on our shirts
charcoal grey sofa 

Work with what comes up

Work with what comes up
intuition is your guide
don’t overthink it 

Your problems aren’t solved

Your problems aren’t solved
process experiences
complete the homework 

These conversations

These conversations
people have about themselves
reinforce fictions 

Anthropomorphise

Anthropomorphise
landscapes need humans for scale
shrink figures for awe 

Be porous in thoughts

Be porous in thoughts
collaborate with nature
art is alchemy

What do you absorb?

What do you absorb?
soaking the environment
connecting through space 

Give and be received

Give and be received
one-way flow in video
a delayed process 

Healing tanka

When feeling broken
healing can mean aligning
move into new thoughts
put your body in service
let energy move through you 

Reconnect with baths

Reconnect with baths
your aquatic beginnings
rebirth each day 

Listening to bells

Listening to bells
feeling their waves roll over
massaged by their sounds 

A line lights the sky

A line lights the sky
stepping outside this morning
shooting star blessing 

I mowed back the mint

I mowed back the mint
now butterflies aren't landing
my garden bores me 

Journaling tanka

Skim scum off your pond
prioritise mental health
writing is a gift
anybody can do it
catch lofty goals and big dreams 

Sounds like a crowd cheers

Sounds like a crowd cheers
I'm watching an empty beach
as big waves smash rocks 

There’s no confusion

There’s no confusion
no sort of chance elements
completely scripted 

Cutting back coffee

Cutting back coffee 
as it's only effective
if it has effect

Daylight saving ends

Daylight saving ends 
I turn off the microwave
then on at midday

Out past breaking waves

Out past breaking waves
the scene seems to lose focus
as the ocean smooths 

Beach sign says "no dogs"

Beach sign says "no dogs"
yet every family
walks with exceptions 

Without being weird

Without being weird
feel free to share fears of death
write songs to a ghost 

Within and without

Within and without
inhabiting boundaries
in-between spaces 

Focus and foci

Focus and foci
spectacle and surveillance
this tree grows webcams

 

Serving sentences

Serving sentences
manipulating language
expressing power 

A glimpse of beauty

A glimpse of beauty
yet if I return to see
it’s not the same scene

 

One cup for the day

One cup for the day
little sips while I’m offline
my cup of restraint 

Copywriting words

Copywriting words
worrying they want my best
when they take my worst 

Unannounced ideas

Unannounced ideas
their knocking is not a kick
invite them inside 

Sound travels through us

Sound travels through us
vibrating our essences
our porosity 

A sixth sense of sorts

A sixth sense of sorts
feeling different pressures
fish have these organs 

Practicing self-care

Practicing self-care
requires transcending the self
nurturing the soul 

These happiest years

These happiest years
an unremarkable life
my debt owed to her 

Ornamental pears

Ornamental pears
making a sound like streamers
celebrating fall 

Being in service

Being in service
shape-shifting for grant money
embedding my dreams 

Pantheon of loves

Pantheon of loves
different relationships
intersecting hearts 

Embraced and nourished

Embraced and nourished
sustaining blooms among weeds
our intimacies 

Animatronic

Animatronic
anima and animus
Jung needs updating 

Posing as questions

Posing as questions
provocations hide answers
unsolving problems 

Spontaneous choice

Spontaneous choice
mediums express ideas
intuit meanings 

Words outlive authors

Words outlive authors
text is a physical space
read with your body 

Thousands of doorways

Thousands of doorways
poetry has a building
I won’t read their maps 

What feels exciting?

What feels exciting?
prioritising my comfort
curiosity 

Writing about joy

Writing about joy
finding enthusiasm
noting happy times 

Handling a spaceman

Handling a spaceman
then bitten by a spider
promoting my films 

Freedom in thinking

Freedom in thinking
dissolving identity
flexibility 

Let's say “not all men”

Let's say “not all men”
for males abandoned those roles
leaving no allies 

Our gendered bodies

Our gendered bodies
share more in common than not
our unisex souls 

Unhealthy madness

Unhealthy madness
artistic genius myths
we’re all creative 

Seed of an idea

Seed of an idea
sprouting in soil of free time
watered with deadlines 

People love process

People love process
identify with others
disembodied hands 

Self-aggrandising

Self-aggrandising
my vulnerability
soulful cannibal 

Light goes through her eye

Light goes through her eye
illuminates the iris
and I skip a breath 

Magpies change their tune

Magpies change their tune
Murrumbidgee Lowry "peep"
autumn is starting 

If you love someone

If you love someone
you know the trust to answer
“what are you thinking?” 

[Occasional tanka]

Metaphysical
writing is not visual
language becomes tools

these words are an instrument
I play guitar with four hands 

My early mornings

My early mornings
night is the time for writing
passionate thoughts flow 

Be a believer

Be a believer
offer some encouragement
don’t warn of problems 

Turn on the red lights

Turn on the red lights 
switch your brain into neutral
when the day closes

Taking one layer

Taking one layer
looking at small elements
build a new picture 

Just do what you can

Just do what you can
it’s important to tinker
play with new ideas

Like a time capsule

Like a time capsule
react emotionally
good bones build stories

Figuring it out

Figuring it out
breaking from that tendency
applied thought process 

Abstract painting style

Abstract painting style
Jimi Hendrix DNA
erosions of form 

Beginning journeys

Beginning journeys
a randomness in colour
tweak the little things 

Unselfconsciousness

Unselfconsciousness
opening creative space
it’s a sacred thing 

Stirred by my longings

Stirred by my longings
mixed accountabilities
all double-edged swords 

Give me strength to face

Give me strength to face
time and space and solitude
what I’m learning now 

Asking people check

Asking people check
question what I’m processing
hear the things I think 

Some things I’ve unlearned

Some things I’ve unlearned
ambition, career and
individuals 

Scrap metal symbols

Scrap metal symbols
memories outside our lives
subconscious language 

Stepping out sometimes

Stepping out sometimes
refreshing my batteries
looking for new love 

Weight around my neck

Weight around my neck
keeping some things to myself
holding my thoughts down 

Told we’re not enough

Told we’re not enough
that we should be doing more
do the best and win 

My deepest question

My deepest question
what’s going to fill my heart
because I’m lucky 

No grander designs

No grander designs
imagined trajectory
I stumbled on to 

My dutiful kids

My dutiful kids
they ask what I plan to do
as they try their best 

Resist temptation

Resist temptation
my worth is not my day job
my dreams satisfied 

After summer cooled

After summer cooled
the swimming pool has opened
prices have gone up 

Those moments we shared

Those moments we shared
play on a loop in my head
I’m a fan of yours 

Summarise my thoughts

Summarise my thoughts
exporting an emotion
is art cathartic? 

Ideas of success

Ideas of success
showing I’m loved by someone
needing a witness 

Perhaps a union

Perhaps a union
as I’ve dreamed about weddings
for the last two nights 

Message to myself

Message to myself
stop reaching for the biscuits
start cooking an egg 

Waste idle moments

Waste idle moments
suck at something everyday
think without outcome 

Women and men

Women and men
address the superficial
girth is not your worth