*Working in the spirit of collage with amazing artist Louise Upshall to create works using the planning notes collaboratively written each week by Gareth Thomas, Sarah Daniel, and I. Using a process of random word and phrase selection, I have constructed this poem from the week one planning notes co-created with Gareth Thomas and Sarah Daniel for our ‘Listening to the Land: Poetic Action Against the Raising of the Warragamba Dam Wall” workshops.
The energy in this work is hot and brilliant with sacred fires, and I choose words as my magic in stoking those flames. This will be a process that I do for each of the five weeks to ensure that the spirit of love being poured into this work and out into the living land is expressed. I acknowledge this as co-created work in recognition of the connective energy that flows between us in planning, participating with, and collaboratively facilitating each weeks workshop. These are all of our words and imaginings, working big magic together in service of our beautiful Earth.
Remembering images from
Warragamba’s experiences –
Floodplains Who call
From the imagination
Of future lines spoken by
More than just human kin
In similar discussions
Of collaboration.
An experiment of reflecting
Ethics, listening, connection
Into deepening.
Council of All Beings
Outside with the grass
Feels like a nice way to
Receive a poem written by
Earth Kin.
Gathering amongst
White cockatoos and trucks,
Going together at once
Into each poem passing along
Visible lines of first inspiration
Able to see sharing
And time prepared for
Engagement, connection
Received and authored by
The Earth Kin person
Who passed it to you
With deeper needs
To be covered by
Highly recommended
Agreements.
Write for a long time
This strong theme of
Collaborating in the ways of
Earth Kin allies,
Be inspired, be unsettled –
Take too much time and
Think about it too much
From the instinctive belly
Where we all lay down
And speak together
Without speaking FOR.
Some stuff is missed,
But we say what we feel into,
Creating a Council poem
Of silenced voices
Drummed into
Compassionately.
Little Bat 