Jill Jones, Sydney-based Australian poet, was the featured poet at Poneme (a poetry list) in the past week, so I asked her if I could publish one of her poems here. It starts with a brief introduction by herself. It simply struck a fine chord with me, so I hope you appreciate it too.
Andrew
The following poem was written for an exhibition of Australian surrealist paintings that showed at the S.H Ervin Gallery in Sydney. I can’t say I’m a huge Nolan fan but I wrote in response to three of his paintings, this one being my favourite poem. I tried to emulate, impossibly, a kind of ‘exquisite corpse’ procedure. Impossible to do alone obviously because you know what is before and behind you but, let’s say, I tried to push the Q&A format a bit.
Dream horses
Where are your eyes?
Nothing has prepared us for this.
What is earth?
There’s a pain that remembers bone and horn.
Is the sky above?
Only figures in a landscape.
How fast is the wind?
Even the broken floats in dreamland’s waters.
Do you remember when?
You will know when you see us.
Will you take us with you?
Born into the boundless plain.
How long have you been here?
Our names were once Surefoot and Swift.
Do you think we will be happy?
Dream horses do not need your eyes.
– after Clay Horses by Sidney Nolan
(This poem first published in Agenda, Vol 41, 2005)
Thanks, Jill.
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