'Opening up' lives

'Opening up' lives
after all those locked-down months
turning over rocks

More than characters

More than characters
honest language fills the world
alive with meaning 

Hardened bonds of love

Hardened bonds of love
held by threads of wilful steel
cement a friendship 

Crying through the night

Crying through the night
surprised to hear my questions
no gods for answers 

Threw my knives away

Threw my knives away
begging to make you happy
on my knees with want 

These early mornings

These early mornings
drinking tea and writing verse
my dates with the night

You might be hungry

You might be hungry
success might feel like a meal
don’t go for their scraps 

When you watch the trees

When you watch the trees
some days they’ll move in circles
made drunk by the wind 

Aspirations changed

Aspirations changed
the universe doesn’t dent
let’s make modest art 

By taking action

By taking action
rather than accepting it
that can make it worse

Following the crows

Following the crows
embracing our own shadows
flying on the winds

Across the abyss

Across the abyss
dimensions form boundaries
tangled threads of time

Comfortable homes

Comfortable homes
critics and audience know
artists find their place 

Health through intention

Health through intention
enriching activities
prioritised time 

Travelling while still

Travelling while still
internet mobility
deceiving senses 

Re-writing my words

Re-writing my words
re-articulating thoughts
revelatory 

Chasing those rabbits

Chasing those rabbits
following where their tail leads
opening new paths 

Embodied research

Embodied research
piling the puzzle pieces
finding connections 

Living in feelings

Living in feelings
compiling information
looking for a thread 

Playing with new toys

Playing with new toys
fathers revisit boyhood
through the lens of now 

Uncertain answers

Uncertain answers
left feeling vulnerable
retreat to the child 

Writing reflections

Writing reflections
representing emotions
creating these truths 

You don’t see backstage

You don’t see backstage
encouragements and kind eyes
the source of their strength 

Putting them aside

Putting them aside
very intentionally
letting go of words 

Art is not precious

Art is not precious
at the heart of creation
our passionate mess 

Among dead branches

Among dead branches
blackbird’s clutch of small blue eggs
I destroyed their nest 

Donate your profits

Donate your profits
redefine notions of worth
create more success 

Worthless as people

Worthless as people
egotistical arseholes
some famous artists 

That grating chatter

That grating chatter
flashes of colour in blooms
Rainbow Lorikeets 

Filling paperwork

Filling paperwork
90% drudgery
creative work waits 

Flying through town

Flying through town
cockatoos and currawongs
hungry as spring starts 

Mistakes will happen

Mistakes will happen
entering the unknown
the best accidents