spinofflive
Babygros on a washing line
Babies are especially vulnerable to RSV (Image: Getty Images)

BooksDecember 10, 2021

The Friday Poem: talk to your baby, by Louise Wallace

Guest writer
Babygros on a washing line
Babies are especially vulnerable to RSV (Image: Getty Images)

A new poem from poet and Starling editor Louise Wallace.

talk to your baby

this is the sound of waves / of no preference / of low-fuss mothering / or working and staying reputable / this is the sound of being undercover / this is what it sounds like to be secretly terrified / and this is the sound of washing / drying flatly / in heat / the sound of a booster seat / being installed / this is the sound of intent / and of planning / and preparation / for something for which you can’t prepare / this is the sound of size / the sound / of a guarantee / and of hope / this is the sound / found / in a library / this is the sound of a screen / in the dark / the sound of being online / this is the sound of temptation / of fear / of harm / of hours / and this / the noise of uncertainty / of problems / change / the sound of being informed / the sound of knowledge / and so also / the sound of support / and reassurance / but / there is further bad news / the sound of bad posture / a continuous slouch / the sound of breasts / and shoulders / ankles / and the sound of the wrong song / the sound of mannerisms / walking / shoes / this is the sound of gravity / of stability / of the centre / of earth / this is the sound of your advocate / your relationship / the sound of protection / of a shield / of comfort / of the familiar / this is the sound of your body / and what’s possible / here / the sound of a shift / of adjustment / and this / the sound of seeing / this is what delight sounds like / this is the sound of your voice / sounding off at the sound / at fascination / the sound of learning / of signals / the sound of so much potential / this is the sound of light / and need / this is how it sounds to be tender / this is the sound of your own skin

The Friday Poem is edited by Chris Tse. Submissions are welcome and will be open until 31 December 2021. Please send up to three poems to chris@christse.co.nz.

Keep going!
Christopher Luxon, captured here thinking about a pantoum. Image: Tina Tiller
Christopher Luxon, captured here thinking about a pantoum. Image: Tina Tiller

BooksDecember 9, 2021

Christopher Luxon, poet

Editor-at-large
Christopher Luxon, captured here thinking about a pantoum. Image: Tina Tiller
Christopher Luxon, captured here thinking about a pantoum. Image: Tina Tiller

Behold, the New Zealand politician-poet pantheon has a brand new bard. Everybody gather round.

Much has been made of Christopher Luxon as heir to Sir John Key. But he might be better understood as an amalgam of Key and the National leader who immediately followed him, Sir Bill English. There’s the faith-informed social conservatism, but I don’t mean that. There’s the embrace of the social investment approach, but I don’t mean that, either. I mean the poetry.

English launched his leadership by reading poetry. He studied literature; his aptitude for words was so great they named a language after him. And as prime minister he contributed to the verse canon the beguiling contemporary masterpiece ‘There’s A Hill Out There’. 

English was not, of course, the first politician to dip his toe in the lyrical waters. Thomas Bracken, the best known New Zealand poet of the 19th century and writer of the words to the national anthem, was member of parliament for Dunedin Central for a term. David Cunliffe wrote in tribute to Harvard: “For one short year or two / I suckled you / with potent milk / of truth and learning.” Colin Craig wrote a number of poems. (Colin, if you’re reading, I beg you on behalf of the country to keep going; to dedicate literally all of your waking hours to writing poetry.)

While others have been obsessing on the supposed pugilism of question time, however, the poetry lovers of Aotearoa have noticed the fragments Luxon has been sprinkling about like breadcrumbs to hungry birds: bathos, metaphor, alliteration. Here, pieced together painstakingly like an ancient fresco, a poem by Christopher Luxon.

 

To float

I want to be able to float

To bring the tide back in

I come with no baggage

I don’t care 

about the past

*

Yesterday was yesterday

I think

Today is the future

*

Put the backpack of grievance 

                          down

It is time to turn the page

*

We will be out there in the world 

happening to our future

rather than letting the future 

happen to us.

To turn a page you 

                  actually 

have to turn a page

*

Another little review 

inside ourselves

Let’s turn the page

Judith is very satisfied.

A note on composition: the above is drawn entirely and verbatim from statements by Christopher Luxon since he became National leader but also yes there are a couple of lines by Todd Muller and Simon Bridges – strong team, etc.

 

Books