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 

Contrast energies

Contrast energies
negative and positive
life in the balance 

A way of caring

A way of caring
this is our natural world
take care of ourselves 

Our daily routines

Our daily routines
contain our personal lives
share our true natures 

Traditional music

Traditional music
connecting with ancestors
sing their spirits 

We collaborate

We collaborate
our sublime aspects appear
we become others 

Kids become parents

Kids become parents
we’re learning to disappear
our greatest lesson 

Don’t justify it

Don’t justify it
stay authentic in your art
be vulnerable 

Everybody

Everybody
try to investigate it
there’s something for you 

Find laughter or joy

Find laughter or joy
in the gaps of daily life
make moments for play 

On a cloudy day

On a cloudy day
a distinct shade of green glows
the landscape changes 

I call you hot stuff

"I call you hot stuff
'cause you got forty degrees,"
says my oldest son.

The smell of water

A sniff of water
falling on the garden
evaporating 

Denying pleasure

Denying pleasure
worrying about money
impure puritan 

From behind a screen

From behind a screen
shining work on light admired
holding doors open 

Unrequited art

Unrequited art 
multiple loves to indulge
got nothing but time

All Earth in one year

All Earth in one year
eight minutes before midnight
humans rise and fall 

Let's see what’s missing

Let's see what’s missing
stored in empty packages
imagination

Australian art

Australian art
begins with a blank canvas
ends with a blank look

Water has three states

Water has three states
but not really only three
clouds, steam, ice and rain 

Grinding my worries

Grinding my worries
in the smallest of gestures
performing calm thoughts

Anticipation

Anticipation
being self-doubt and wonder
trying to fit in 

Serious or not

Serious or not
we have kept our innocence
hiding irony 

Letting ideas flow

Letting ideas flow
keeping boundaries fluid
play is important 

Knock all the things down

Knock all the things down
smash the system to begin
build them all again 

Sharing our ideas

Sharing our ideas
a healthy framework of ‘yes’
collaboration 

Drawn to mark-making

Drawn to mark-making
does my message come across
crowded mediums 

Applications close

Applications close
all the tabs in my browser
strain under your voice 

My words will travel

My words will travel
a universal donor
type-0 negative 

Microbiota

Microbiota
constitute our consciousness
we're never alone 

Records like diaries

Records like diaries
document performances
dream journals these days 

Brightness falls from air

Brightness falls from air
experiments with lightning
forming through vapours 

Animal spirits

Animal spirits
complete material souls
conducted through dreams 

Circumfluent clouds

Circumfluent clouds
ethereal amber glow
led by phosphor light 

Electricity

Electricity
so incapable of rest
brief hanging ribbons 

Drawn up by the sun

Drawn up by the sun
formed from moist exhalations
evaporations

 

Natural science

Natural science
following a fluent route
hold onto your breath 

Devils in details

Devils in details
shopping lists and newsletters
flammable remains 

Celebrate leaving

Celebrate leaving
something was and now isn't
obituaries 

Lazy thought despair

Lazy thought despair
mildest summer forever 
hiding in forecast

Full of modesty

Full of modesty
memories polished with time
once more by my hands 

Inspiring vision

Inspiring vision
undulating as mountains
if this is my fate 

It gives me comfort

It gives me comfort
holding the bridge of my nose
my third eye pinched closed 

When a thought escapes

When a thought escapes
eroded by forgetting
a candle is lit 

Finding lost value

Finding lost value
reacting to compulsion
post-rationalised 

I went to bed drunk

I went to bed drunk
attracted a kangaroo
snorting as I snored 

Don’t defile your gods

Don’t defile your gods
keep the sacred personal
set your spirit free

Peak societies

Peak societies
recognise variety
completes human life 

Together we rise

Together we rise
supporting each step taken
love is all you need 

Express memory

Express memory
be a link to ancestors
live another life 

Curate your story

Curate your story
erase useless histories
rewrite provenance 

Configure moments

Configure moments
elements of conjuring
weird premonitions 

Sifting through my thoughts

Sifting through my thoughts
hypersensitivity
I live in futures 

Self-centred thinking

Self-centred thinking
extracting material
writing poetry 

I’m not ambitious

I’m not ambitious
I’m not goal-oriented
I let things happen 

I feel desire

I feel desire
feel borderline desperate
that motivates me 

All those rambling thoughts

All those rambling thoughts
I’ll dispose of them like compost
they’ll grow into verse

Taking sensations

Taking sensations
transmuting them into words
fumbling in the dark 

It seems addictive

It seems addictive
harvesting the sentence blooms
pickling reflections

Unhelpful statements

Unhelpful statements
the world incites reactions
hold onto your thoughts 

Nighttime comes to life

Nighttime comes to life
radio stations emerge
as I turn the dial

It’s the hardest part

It’s the hardest part
putting on your running shoes
to start exercise