Words & Poems

Books & Poetry

In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Susan O’Brien writes about poems and their words.

Wednesday August 03, 2016 Comments

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Words

Words
are visitors
to the mind
they do not promise
to stay
or put down roots
They are shy when bidden
and vanish like leaves

Though common currency,
we do not own them
changing their meaning
by the company they keep
they come
and go
at whim

On a bad day
my mind is a bog

On a good day
my mind is a wellspring of words
which flow from my fingertips
and are captured by the avid page
in patterns that surprise and shine…

Poems

Poems are grace notes of the mind
mysteriously evolving
though some
elbow their way in
fully formed

Slipping into consciousness
when the mind is idling
the nub presents itself
and submits
to gradual grooming
and pruning

Single words are slippery
phrases have more hooks
rhythm and rhyme,
twin maestros that
couple words
then tango them
dance them
onto the page.

Susan O’Brien lives half of her time off the grid overlooking the gorge of the Finniss River on the Fleurieu Peninsula, the other half in Adelaide’s CBD. Since recent semi-retirement from medical practice as a GP with a specific interest in mental health, she has started to capture her poems on the page, writing about what the natural world may present. A particular associated delight is South Australia’s produce, in its wines, olives and other Mediterranean fruits. As well as InDaily, her poems have appeared in Friendly Street anthologies, and she has read at the Coriole vineyard and on 101.5 FM Radio Adelaide’s Gastronaut program.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.

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<h1>Words & Poems</h1>

<p><p>In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Susan O’Brien writes about poems and their words.</p>
</p>
																		<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/compiled-by-john-miles/" class="author">Compiled by John Miles</a></address>
											
							<h2><a href="#words" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="words"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>Words</strong></h2>
<p>Words<br />
are visitors<br />
to the mind<br />
they do not promise<br />
to stay<br />
or put down roots<br />
They are shy when bidden<br />
and vanish like leaves</p>
<p>Though common currency,<br />
we do not own them<br />
changing their meaning<br />
by the company they keep<br />
they come<br />
and go<br />
at whim</p>
<p>On a bad day<br />
my mind is a bog</p>
<p>On a good day<br />
my mind is a wellspring of words<br />
which flow from my fingertips<br />
and are captured by the avid page<br />
in patterns that surprise and shine…</p>
<h2><a href="#poems" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="poems"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>Poems</strong></h2>
<p>Poems are grace notes of the mind<br />
mysteriously evolving<br />
though some<br />
elbow their way in<br />
fully formed</p>
<p>Slipping into consciousness<br />
when the mind is idling<br />
the nub presents itself<br />
and submits<br />
to gradual grooming<br />
and pruning</p>
<p>Single words are slippery<br />
phrases have more hooks<br />
rhythm and rhyme,<br />
twin maestros that<br />
couple words<br />
then tango them<br />
dance them<br />
onto the page.</p>
<p><em>Susan O’Brien lives half of her time off the grid overlooking the gorge of the Finniss River on the Fleurieu Peninsula, the other half in Adelaide’s CBD. Since recent semi-retirement from medical practice as a GP with a specific interest in mental health, she has started to capture her poems on the page, writing about what the natural world may present. A particular associated delight is South Australia’s produce, in its wines, olives and other Mediterranean fruits. As well as InDaily, her poems have appeared in Friendly Street anthologies, and she has read at the Coriole vineyard and on 101.5 FM Radio Adelaide’s <a href="https://radio.adelaide.edu.au/gastronaut-poets-susan-obrien/">Gastronaut program</a>.</em></p>
<h5><a href="#readers-original-and-unpublished-poems-of-up-to-40-lines-can-be-emailed-with-postal-address-to-poetscornersolsticemedia-com-au-a-poetry-book-will-be-awarded-to-each-contributor" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="readers-original-and-unpublished-poems-of-up-to-40-lines-can-be-emailed-with-postal-address-to-poetscornersolsticemedia-com-au-a-poetry-book-will-be-awarded-to-each-contributor"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.</h5>
							<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://inreview.com.au" target=_blank  rel="canonical">InReview</a> under a Creative Commons licence. Read the <a href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2016/08/03/words-poems/" target=_blank  rel="canonical">original article</a>.</p>
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