Hearth Heard
Old stone hearth
framed
with crumbling masonry
has heard more
than we
could ever tell
fires lit
flames danced
billy tea brewed
damper risen
bones warmed
first flint struck
long before
twinkle
in grandparents’ eyes
blackened and cold
lies bare
under the stars
strike a flint
one last time
as embers crackle
listen
for tales once told
by this
old stone hearth.
Andrew Ballard lives in Adelaide. Following 11 years as a petty officer medical in the Royal Australian Navy, he worked for medical companies selling devices and instruments, then as a support worker in mental health, and a support worker and first-aid instructor in aged care. With systemic mastocytosis, he took early retirement, and took up digital art and writing. His poems have been published by TAMS, The Australasian Mastocytosis Society; in the US in the New Jersey Mignolo Arts Group’s journal, in the New York poetry journal “Open Skies”; and previously in “Poet’s Corner”. He was shortlisted in this year’s Mindshare creative writing awards, published established poets category, for his poem “Cloud 9”.
Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au.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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