Cirrus@Austlit

'Life can become a race against time if you allow it. Slow down occasionally, and you are apt to find that time pauses too. Some of my most indelible memories have been formed in such moments and a few are recollected in this slim volume. I hope they spark resonance and enjoyment.

'This is the fifth volume of my poems published by Ginninderra Press, and I am grateful to Stephen and Brenda Matthews for their continued support. Stephen was awarded the Order of Australia in 2021 for his services to publishing, a well-deserved honour, for he has given great opportunities to many Australian poets over the past twenty-five years. I count myself fortunate to have been one of them.' (Publication summary)

'Gerard Manley Hopkins gave thanks ‘for skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow’. These poems were all written on a small farm near the coast of South Australia, a place of couple-colour skies and brindled cows. They draw inspiration from shifting shades, both in the landscape and in the poet’s mind. They also acknowledge the influence of poets from the past, as suggested in words from the title poem, ‘for, though these poets died, their fears and loves survive, transcending time’. Some are clothed in traditional forms from the past, others in the looser garments of free verse. The subjects range from frivolity to philosophy, having shades both of light and of darkness, as befits a couple-colour collection.'   (Publication summary)

'A gallimaufry is a medley of things, originally a culinary term for a stew. One could equally call it a hash, a potpourri or even a hotchpotch. Whichever term you choose, I hope you enjoy this particular recipe, finding it to your taste and easily digestible. It is spiced with ingredients drawn from several countries, moods and styles. The cover picture, which is a composite portrait of the author and his wife, by his daughter, Anna, is from a photographic exhibition called Mixed Emotions, described in The Sydney Daily Telegraph as 'an act of metaphorical self-creation'. That could be said of some of these poems, too.' (Publication Summary)

'Written in Sand embraces a wide range of poetic forms and subject matter. There is something here for everybody: humour, joy, hope, and occasional philosophy. Several of the poems reflect the close relationship between the author and his natural environment.' (Publication summary)

'Some of these poems reflect the light caught in my daughter’s camera during her work in a village community in the Ethiopian Afar. Others are more random shafts of light caught in the prism of my mind and split into a rainbow of reflections about life and death and the half-world of hopes and dreams that lies between. As is the case with rainbows, they are composed both of sunshine and drops of rain. I trust that somewhere amongst them you will also find a pot of gold. At the very least, if you buy the book, you will be contributing to a pot of gold to sustain the work of Barefoot Initiative in Ethiopia (see www.barefootinitiative.org/). ' (Publication summary)

'At their best, reflections dance and sparkle, bringing joy and a sense of wonder. They never quite capture the original, but they translate it to another form. Some of these poems reflect the light caught in my daughter's camera during her work in a village community in the Ethiopian Afar. Others are more random shafts of light caught in the prism of my mind and split into a rainbow of reflections about life and death and the half-world of hopes and dreams that lies between. As is the case with rainbows, they are composed both of sunshine and drops of rain. I trust that somewhere amongst them you will also find a pot of gold. At the very least, if you buy the book, you will be contributing to a pot of gold to sustain my daughter's work with various NGOs in Third World countries.' (Publication summary)