Poems: Deleted words and dragonflies
Books & Poetry
This week’s Poet’s Corner contributions are from Alys Jackson of Adelaide.
Words removed
from the Junior Oxford Dictionary
Acorns, buttercups,
dandelions, otters, and ash.
What the hell have they got
against otters?
Ecosystems estranged
in favour of broadband
and blogging.
I’d like to see
them explain it to Noah
as he checked in the
kingfishers.
Dragonflies
Clustered in a blaze
of gauzy arrows,
crepe paper wings
and disco-ball eyes
belay the detached terror
if you happen to be
a slowly circling,
mouthful of moth.
Alys Jackson writes poetry and short stories and lives in Adelaide. Her work has appeared in journals and anthologies including ‘Right Now’, ‘Storgy’, ‘Social Alternatives’ and ‘Wild Words’. Her collection ‘Wolf Ghosts’, was one of the three successful entries for Friendly Street’s ‘New Poets 20’, published in 2019. In 2020, her children’s story picture book ‘Hugo’s Runaway Legs’ is due from Melbourne’s Larrikin House, whilst two of her short stories are also due in the anthology ‘Thrill Me’ from Adelaide’s Glimmer Press. More about Alys and her work can be found at alysjackson.com.
Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au.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.
Support local arts journalism
Your support will help us continue the important work of InReview in publishing free professional journalism that celebrates, interrogates and amplifies arts and culture in South Australia.
Donate Here
