A Christmas Reflection
In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Sue Cook and John Miles present their very first joint poem.
I.
Upon reading a poetry book again
now that it’s Christmas near
I found much to admire
was again on Higher Ground
it Gave me the News
my responses in turn
through poems of my own
filling my Australian notepad with them
poems that are poems
about what poetry there is about
irises, roses, pink ones and purple ones
all that have coloured me true
then about an island called Kangaroo
an endless love for that too
and a plain called Nullarbor
its arid-jarid sun-silent crossing
a beauty unknown
and an O-Bahn bus ridden on
beside a little river called Torrens
the cadence of wheels
the thrum of the tyres
the all of them, and more, the Great Escapes,
from an otherwise world.
II.
Upon reading a poetry book again
now that it’s Christmas near
it reminded me of how
as yet another book says
that two, and more, are better than one
because together they make
good return for their labour
or that as iron sharpens iron
so one person sharpens another
or that two, and more, cannot walk together
unless they have agreed to meet
with hearts as well as minds
or whichever way it’s said
that it will be
that collaboration, a joining, is needed,
in an otherwise world.
Sue Cook is Poet’s Corner’s longest-standing contributor and the author of many other poems and collections published elsewhere. John Miles has been Poet’s Corner’s presenter, since its inception in April 2006.
Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.