''The manuscript contains fifty-one lyric poems, a number of which have been published in literary journals and newspaper literary supplements. The poems explore my experiences as an aid relief volunteer on a ranch in southern Zimbabwe, working with HIV/AIDS affected orphans. The first section, Ways of Seeing, opens with the poem 'Self Reflection on Mwenezi River' which locates the key setting for the collection and presents a series of portraits; 'White Farmer and Wife', 'Biggest Orphan' and 'Old Shona Foreman', among others. The second section, Return to Kangerong, is set in Australia and explores the residual trauma of the Zimbabwean experience. Poems such as 'Swings and Slides' and 'Daughter at Fifteen' revisit painful personal memories, intertwined with a series of 'nocturnal' fragments about the natural cycle of life and death in an Australian farm setting. The final section, Things Foreknown, explores interior and exterior landscapes, both at home and in Zimbabwe, coming to terms with the total traumatic experience of writing and then rewriting this collection of poems.'
Source: Author's abstract, University of Queensland, UQ eSpace record
