Making Something Happen: Poems for Flood Relief

TURNS OUT sometimes poetry CAN make something happen. As Auden knew well it can.

At the end of week of flood and war and loss—among the loss, the passing of two figures of Australian cricket I find myself grieving inordinately because, I guess they ARE half of one’s childhood and weekend life—Poetica Bondi (Miriam Hechtman) and Poets Out Loud (Sarah Temporal) have announced an open-mic reading for flood relief this coming Thursday 10 March at 7pm. Bookings essential, because the event is ticketed and the tickets go to the relief of people affected by the catastrophic floods that hit Lismore and Murwillumbah and places in the north of New South Wales and the south of Queensland.

Book online at Poetica Bondi. I’ll be there. Bring a poem to read. Poems may not cool global warming or tame catastrophe or drop the water levels, but they can become a benign and useful floodtide. They perform a molecular evolution, putting our pieces together again, manufacturing hope, laying on the hands of love. Modelling generosity and enacting kindness—at the same time practising what Heaney called “a hard and retributive truthtelling.”

Thank you to Miriam Hechtman and Sarah Temporal for taking this step for us all. See you Thursday night.