Zen and the Art of Astroturf by Bronwyn Rodden, Wyndow Books, 2023.
I edited Wyn’s book with so much pleasure. Here is part of a review (Jonah Meyer, US Review of Books)
‘Rodden’s strength as a poet and storyteller seems driven by a blending of both her wealth of lived experiences and the fashion in which her material is masterly crafted into slice-of-life poems, presented casually and intelligently. Fanciness is not sought for the sake of fanciness. Rather, it seems this poet exudes a natural ease of style, flowing from narrative poems simply through their telling. After reading and then re-reading the pleasurable poems collected within this volume, an immediate impulse—reflecting well upon Rodden’s poetic talent—is to seek out additional work (both poetry and prose) by the author. A taste of these poems delights, and readers will hope there is more material on the horizon.’
from Fire Days – January
Sunday morning, I get a call.
‘Can you be ready in an hour?’
Bankstown cleared us immediately and we were up,
quiet, hardly a run-up,
our pilot watching everywhere,
leaned us right into Peats Ridge,
miles of fire aching to cross the freeway.
At the tiny airport a few pilots hung around,
bitching about air force jockeys and the cricket.
A civil volunteer picked us up, I knew his face,
we'd been at college together in Wagga in 1978.
0245
Spoke to T.H., Sydney electricity, re burning tree at Grid 275328 on D. Road off K. Rd. He said
he would arrange for it to be brought down.
We' are taken to Erina Fire Control Headquarters,
a nest of crisis organisations,
Victorians, South Australians, wireless experts.
They've been here nearly two weeks,
people are getting tired,
on the weekend they were evacuated.
Hungry crews arrive blacked up and staring in lines,
there's a few women, trying to tread a middle ground
through all the over-stimulated men.
I catch up with one, angry, worn out,
there's a photo of her in the control room
with a caption ‘Guess what F's saying?’
‘I'm walking out halfway through a shift’ she says.
