It is my pleasure to post this poem by Martha Morseth today. . .
DIFFERENCE
There is always a turning
and a difference
a landscape where southerlies push fists of clouds
down long harbours
or a land where winds claw autumn foil
from branches
in either, friends will be lost from the never meeting
the never knowing
and we come back to the question of how the choice was made
in a fit of passion
a chance remark
matters of circumstance
of priority?
no matter
roads end
some dissolving into paddock grass
where there’s fruit to gather
some at the sea with fish to catch
and sometimes the flit of a thought
circling above
that a different road would have made no difference.
Martha Morseth
Dunedin writer, Martha Morseth, has had poems published in anthologies, literary and popular journals including The Listener, Landfall, Sport, Takahe, JAAM, Poetry New Zealand, and in on-line journals as well as in her collection, Staying Inside the Lines (Inkweed 2002).
She has written three books for teenagers, published by Pearson: two short story collections --- Yeah! and EDGE/a cut of unreal --- and a book of one-act plays, Let’s Hear It for the Winner!
A group of her poems and images can be found on http://www.otago.ac.nz/deepsouth/2007/index.html (University of Otago, Deep South literary journal)
Biographical information can be found in the Writers Profiles of the NZ Society of Authors pages,
*
Isn't it amazing how much poetic talent there is around and about in NZ and the Tuesday Poem is bringing it to light - a very nice poem that resonates and somehow lightens the loss too, of those puzzling miss connections and sudden endings. I meant to say Claire that I copied your 'Time' poem last week and shared it, along with a poem by Auden about Time, with my Thursday Creative Class at Arohata and the two poems worked so well alongside one another and were very much appreciated - I was going to email you privately but only have your blog contact.
ReplyDeletewhoops - either missed connections or misconnections...
ReplyDeleteI love the lines: "a landscape where southerlies push fists of clouds//
ReplyDeletedown long harbours" - it so speaks to me of Dunedin and my Otago peninsula days.
Strong poem, thank you Claire and of course Martha. Redolent of loss and acceptance and something even fuller.
ReplyDeleteDear Maggie@at-the-bay
ReplyDeleteTP brings poetry and so much more to light, week by week by week. It's a wonderful initiative, a dynamic, supportive and w i d e community.
I love this poem of Martha's; it's one that's 'lodged' in me and that I like to read often.
Thank you for sharing my Daylight Saving poem with your class last week - a privilege to have it read alongside Auden's Time. (I will do the same with these poems today!) L, C
PS. When are you going to start your blog, M@-at-the-bay? (Yes, I know, I'm being a persistent creature!) You will let us know, won't you?
ReplyDelete. . . and every now and then we meet a Miss Connections . . .
ReplyDelete; )
Hi Helen - I love those lines, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by in the midst of all your excitement and New Book Busyness. I will reply to your recent e- soon. x
Dear Pen - a strong poem, yes. Definitely no push-over, no matter the questions it's presented with. As you say, it's 'redolent with loss and acceptance and something even fuller.'
ReplyDeletePerhaps the fullness is an outcome of loss-with-acceptance? Or acceptance-with-loss?
However it comes about, there'd be a great dollop of grace at the heart of it.
Love to you and your day, C x
A message to you from Martha ---
ReplyDelete'Thanks so much for your positive feedback. It is so seldom writers, especially poets, know if their poems work, if others relate to them, if they offer entertainment or thought and if one should keep writing.'
One - you - should definitely keep writing, Martha. This poem will continue to open up all kinds of conversations.
Thank you.