I love this poem – it made me question why we try, train, forge a path and hitch ourselves so beautifully to a purpose. Now that the project is over – and I am tucking mountains of paper-work into recycling, attempting to file away an experience, shelving the past, carving tomorrow into my aspirations – I am slumping slightly into that familiar groove  within which you need to reflect and (well, in this case) write an acquittal. Reflect and respond. Re-boot the wonder, kick start another why and fly onto the next page.

In all the work we’ve done it is easy to forget that you seldom know the ripples your tiny actions can roll along…and like a butterfly kiss between two cheeks – close, blind and smiling – the lashes can stoke some flame.

Les Murray’s little gift of a poem above inspired this video response, on the nature of winning:

https://vimeo.com/93245873

The ephemeral poet squinting to etch this experience into memory…

and the somewhat tangible, queue-ticket printed-poetry souvenir:

“peeling layers of ochre, rust and bone dust

from an unlikely blue

blinking beauty in the face

stumbling, grateful, captivated”