I fondly recall the last time I attended a public poetry night in Lismore, though it’s been quite a while. The memory that stands out is the gathering was at The Rous Hotel, where I unexpectedly encountered my former high school teacher, Kerry Balzer, who shared her poetry. Her genuine pleasure at my continued interest in poetry, beyond high school, warmed me. She died a few years ago.
In my high school days, poetry was a passion of mine. I studied English to 3-Unit level in the NSW Higher School Certificate. I remember studying the likes of Australian luminaries, Les Murray and Bruce Dawe. They might still be on the HSC reading list today? However, it was the poetry of Gerard Manly Hopkins, perhaps resonating with my Catholic upbringing, that left the most indelible mark on me.
For the HSC, I produced a volume of poetry that my teacher thought was very good. There were moments of brilliance, he said, but also areas of inconsistency. I have no idea where that volume of poetry is. It probably washed away in a flood. I can still remember elements of the works though,
This week, I saw an advertisement for a poetry night at The Metropole Hotel and felt compelled to attend. Among the attendees was Mariska Pinkerton, a local poet with a well-known Lismore surname who I chatted with early in the night. We talked about David Hallet, the organiser of the night, who I first encountered during my days as a teenage community radio volunteer, organizing poetry events even then.
David’s enduring passion for poetry was evident as he led the evening’s festivities. Despite the modest turnout, the ambiance of the open area at the pub made for a very pleasant evening. A highlight of the night was the performance by visiting Melbourne poet Koraly Dimitriadis, who had a very theatrical, raw style of performance.
Today, I visited the “Earth Matter” exhibition at the Lismore Regional Gallery. Despite the gallery’s flood damage a couple of years ago, they have a temporary storefront exhibition space on Magellan Street. A smaller space, but still great works. The work that captivated me most today was a piece titled “Connection” by artist Lae Oldmeadow, which I thought was reminiscent of entwined serpents.
As for the exhibition overall…
Earth Matter” brings together artists who utilize natural materials to explore diverse themes, from the beauty of nature to environmental activism. Each work embodies a message about our relationship with the natural world, urging us to cherish and preserve it for posterity.”
https://lismoregallery.org/earth-matter
I only dropped in to the gallery by chance, as I was waiting for an appointment at the nearby barber shop, which happened to be closed for lunch
Upon arriving at the barber shop after lunch, they promptly offered me a slot.
“I’m attending a school reunion,” I told the barber, “and I need to spruce up a bit.” After a few minutes of conversation, he mentioned that his mother attended the same school as I did, albeit a few years earlier.
“What was her name?” I asked, to which he replied, “Shirley O’Brien.”
“She’s my cousin, and we spoke yesterday, and your Aunty Rosie has come to visit too.”, I told him. Being twenty years younger than me, he seemed genuinely shocked that I knew so much about his heritage, including knowing his late nan, who was married to my dad’s brother. “She had a great garden”, he remembered of her house in North Lismore.
But hey, that’s small town life.