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'These poems are spare, in the tradition of imagism, from haiku through to surrealism and since; and they are oblique, worked between logic and illogic.
'The voice, among this, is lucid to hear. It is playful and wise; its reflections take the daily things and emotions, with a background of rural Victoria in some of the imagery; and its rhythms feel fresh to a syllable.
'There is no modish nervousness towards language's impotence. Claire Gaskin, in a style that she formed by the mid-eighties, keeps a modernist confidence in expressiveness. The poems here have been matured from two to twenty years, with an artist's instinct not to hurry. The words seem incised on the page for a long term.
'A bud was shortlisted for the John Bray Prize in the 2008 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature.' (Publication summary)
Notes
-
Dedication: For Sasha and Anna.
Contents
- All the Blue Rushing through the Pinpoint of an Irisi"all the blue rushing through the pinpoint of an iris", single work poetry (p. 1)
-
Transitioni"A tree that won't lose its memory in Autumn.",
single work
poetry
(p. 2)
Note: With first line: Arms ache.
- Two Coffees Awake on a Sea of Dead Horsesi"Baudelaire, who talks about some indescribably nauseating mustiness", single work poetry (p. 3)
- This Fruits Ferment Andi"children start diaries.", single work poetry (p. 4)
- Heart Beati"cicadas louder than trucks", single work poetry (p. 5)
- Revelationi"Dali crashing through plate-glass while struggling", single work poetry (p. 6)
- One Momenti"Every leaf memorises the light", single work poetry (p. 7)
- The Door Closed Is Sucked Towards the Open Windowi"Feet in milk I walk down a dust drive", single work poetry (p. 8)
- A Flamei"Flame cupped in hands is a face.", single work poetry (p. 9)
- I Story My Hands to the Wallsi"hands like parting rivers", single work poetry (p. 10)
- Cut Flowersi"Her eyes are swing-into-the-river on a rope and let-go blue", single work poetry (p. 11)
- Pegi"Her faded perfume", single work poetry (p. 12)
- My Bodyi"His bleeding was into a shallow garden.", single work poetry (p. 13)
- For Pindari"His cloud sits down with him, he", single work poetry (p. 14)
- Hallwaysi"I am a horizon", single work poetry (p. 15)
- Sin and Lineni"I grip the wheel too tight", single work poetry (p. 16)
- The Red Linei"I saw hands to a throat like a shadow play in a tent", single work poetry (p. 17)
- Ifi"If my head is a bunch of flowers,", single work poetry (p. 18)
- A Babooni"in a", single work poetry (p. 19)
- In Her Handsi"in her hands", single work poetry (p. 20-21)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
Untitled
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Five Bells , Autumn/Winter vol. 16 no. 2/3 2009; (p. 153-154)
— Review of A Bud 2006 selected work poetry -
Poetry Survey
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Island , Spring no. 110 2007; (p. 44-47)
— Review of A Bud 2006 selected work poetry ; Westering 2006 selected work poetry ; Blistered Days 2007 selected work poetry ; Cube Root of Book 2006 sequence poetry ; Handfeeding the Crocodile 2007 selected work poetry -
Untitled
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Blue Dog : Australian Poetry , vol. 6 no. 11 2007; (p. 66-68)
— Review of A Bud 2006 selected work poetry -
Roots
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , March no. 289 2007; (p. 64)
— Review of A Bud 2006 selected work poetry ; Cube Root of Book 2006 sequence poetry
-
Roots
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , March no. 289 2007; (p. 64)
— Review of A Bud 2006 selected work poetry ; Cube Root of Book 2006 sequence poetry -
Untitled
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Blue Dog : Australian Poetry , vol. 6 no. 11 2007; (p. 66-68)
— Review of A Bud 2006 selected work poetry -
Poetry Survey
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Island , Spring no. 110 2007; (p. 44-47)
— Review of A Bud 2006 selected work poetry ; Westering 2006 selected work poetry ; Blistered Days 2007 selected work poetry ; Cube Root of Book 2006 sequence poetry ; Handfeeding the Crocodile 2007 selected work poetry -
Untitled
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Five Bells , Autumn/Winter vol. 16 no. 2/3 2009; (p. 153-154)
— Review of A Bud 2006 selected work poetry