I don’t normally rush to publish a poem in progress, but these photographs by John Rainey-Smith are so beautiful that I’ve decided to take a risk – publish the photos and the poem that the tuis inspired, yesterday. I reserve the right to rewrite the poem, extend it or end it. But it does capture the first day of creativity for me in quite a while.
Wearing a Poem
Into this windless blue
cubes of sunlight land askew
on painted indoor walls
accompanied by hammering
as builders repeat their
renovating heartbeat of
another suburban almost
summer in our street
fat and sonsy tuis
gobble kohwai, their
throats awash with song
amid golden profusion
fatter even than last
year, more flowers to
feed upon, thanks
to the endless rain
my silver beet stalks
shine phosphorous red
trapped on the deck
with the mint and thyme
I was reaching for
a grief to nurture
to feed on like
the sonsy tuis
hoping to wear a poem
a somewhat dated outfit
but instead, a poem
wore me.
We sat together on our deck in the late afternoon sun, sharing a beer, waiting patiently for the birds to return to sip the kohwai nectar. They rewarded us for our silent vigil. I like my poem but I’m even prouder still of John’s beautiful photographs.
a curious half hour 
Lovely … and thanks for the new word … sonsy 🙂
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It’s lovely, isn’t it – a plump and happy kind of word.
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Kia ora Maggie – this is just beautiful – heartiest congratulations to you for your wonderful word pictures and sensations and John for his stunning photos. We have tuis and a kowhai on our front lawn too and both you and John just capture all of this perfectly.
I love the new word too – had to google it:)
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Yes, I stumbled on sonsy while looking for the spelling of an entirely different word – and there it was, just waiting for me, the right word.
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XX to you dear Trish as you always read my blog.
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Love it Maggie …especially ‘reaching for a grief to nurture’…so easy to reach for grief and may need constant and conscious effort to keep it at bay.
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Dear Anna – how lovely to hear from you across the Tasman – glad you appreciate the poem. Warmest to you from here in the bay (but I bet it’s a whole lot warmer where you are). X
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