Poems: steamy nights and rain-drenched days

Books & Poetry

In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Adelaide Hills poet Sue Cook looks at what has been our summer of contrasts.

Wednesday February 08, 2017 Comments

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Sheet Wrangling

Late last night
angling for sleep
we tossed and turned
in the summer hot-bed
wrangling the top sheet
into twists and tangles
and dangling our feet
over the edge like reluctant swimmers
dipping toes into the pool
unable to dive in and float
into dreamless sleep.

Water, water everywhere

God kindly turned the taps on in heaven
but left the water running over Christmas ‒
he was otherwise fully occupied.

The louring looming scowling clouds
overburdened, unleashed their cargo
on the sodden sullen suburbs
the swelling crops half-way harvested
lush vineyards & summer market gardens
serried rows of fruit trees, ripe for picking.

Prayers for rain & earth’s fair bounty
are transmuted into intercessions
for healing sunshine to rehabilitate
the flood-drunk landscape.

Sue Cook is an Adelaide Hills poet. As a senior English teacher, for a number of years she edited the South Australian English Teachers Association’s annual poetry anthology “Spring Poetry Festival”. She launched the 2010 edition as guest poet, and her poetry has also appeared in Friendly Street anthologies, literary journals and magazines. Her first book of collected poems is “In Focus”, Ginninderra Press, 2016.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.

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<h1>Poems: steamy nights and rain-drenched days</h1>

<p><p>In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Adelaide Hills poet Sue Cook looks at what has been our summer of contrasts.</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="#sheet-wrangling" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="sheet-wrangling"><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>Sheet Wrangling</strong></h2>
<p>Late last night<br />
angling for sleep<br />
we tossed and turned<br />
in the summer hot-bed<br />
wrangling the top sheet<br />
into twists and tangles<br />
and dangling our feet<br />
over the edge like reluctant swimmers<br />
dipping toes into the pool<br />
unable to dive in and float<br />
into dreamless sleep.</p>
<h2><a href="#water-water-everywhere" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="water-water-everywhere"><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>Water, water everywhere</strong></h2>
<p>God kindly turned the taps on in heaven<br />
but left the water running over Christmas ‒<br />
he was otherwise fully occupied.</p>
<p>The louring looming scowling clouds<br />
overburdened, unleashed their cargo<br />
on the sodden sullen suburbs<br />
the swelling crops half-way harvested<br />
lush vineyards & summer market gardens<br />
serried rows of fruit trees, ripe for picking.</p>
<p>Prayers for rain & earth’s fair bounty<br />
are transmuted into intercessions<br />
for healing sunshine to rehabilitate<br />
the flood-drunk landscape.</p>
<p><em>Sue Cook is an Adelaide Hills poet. As a senior English teacher, for a number of years she edited the South Australian English Teachers Association’s annual poetry anthology “Spring Poetry Festival”. She launched the 2010 edition as guest poet, and her poetry has also appeared in Friendly Street anthologies, literary journals and magazines. Her first book of collected poems is “In Focus”, Ginninderra Press, 2016.</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-submissions-should-be-in-the-body-of-the-email-not-as-attac" 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-submissions-should-be-in-the-body-of-the-email-not-as-attac"><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 <a href="mailto:poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au">poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au</a>. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted 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/2017/02/08/poems-steamy-nights-and-rain-drenched-days/" target=_blank  rel="canonical">original article</a>.</p>
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