Climber and volcano – the fusion of imagery. Power of grit and determination.
You know when a work of art or literature takes you to another place, to the limits? Well Camille McCawley’s ‘Maungawhau’ does just that and it is for this reason that this fine poem is the IS&T Pick of the Month for August 2022. Voters found it beautiful, inspiring, showing vulnerability and strength; it evoked brilliantly the poet’s experiences achieving the summit of one of the Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains) overlooking Tāmaki Makaurau, or Auckland, NZ.
Camille McCawley’s pamphlet ‘An Odd Gift’ was released by Bearded Badger Publishing. She has worked with Apples & Snakes and has been published by Bent Key Publishing, Us Versus Virus, For Women Who Roar, and No Jobs in the Arts.
Maungawhau
Fed up with sitting dormant
I shove my legs
into compression tights
double knot laces
and leave the house
for the first time
in weeks.
At the base of Mount Eden
I muster the strength
to move through its shadow.
Pounding against the hard ground
circling the verge of the volcano
the higher I climb
the steeper the surface.
I envision eruption
force feet to continue
to the top
without stopping.
Muscles turn to magma
skin is scoria red.
Blood pulses veins
close to bursting.
With great effort
I reach the summit
molten body explodes
across Auckland’s skyline,
into the South Pacific.
Voters comments in response to ‘Tell us why this gets your vote’ included:
The poem took me to the volcano – and felt the pain. Loved it
I relate to the burning pain of climbing onwards and upwards when climbing mountains on my bike. Great imagery.
Beautiful it speaks to me xx
Imagery was top tier. Really took me to her moment.
Love the mirroring of the body and the volcano 🙂
Camille’s poetry is bloody brilliant, very creative and thoughtful.
Beautifully written poem from her travels in New Zealand
The poem that really made me stop and think
Climber and volcano – the fusion of imagery. Power of grit and determination.
The climb and the last line 🌋
It’s a gorgeous poem, full of rich imagery and I felt the pain of compression leggings!
Touching vulnerability, expression of strength
I love how this poem transports the reader to another place. Very evocative
I really enjoyed the vocabulary that was chosen
A warming and heartfelt read with a delightful tone.
The powerful imagery.
Resonates with me and takes me on the journey. Language that reflects movement and ascension!
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THE REST OF THE AUGUST 2022 SHORTLIST
body by Madeleine Accalia
where does all the dirt come from?
I’m scared my dentist will say
something is wrong
I’m into skincare now
over the hump of acne years everyone
tells me to drink more water even the
girls who have never had a spot swear by it my
foot is fucked up the dentist told me the
lump is not something she would worry about
I de-escalate the fear to ongoing: non urgent
I haven’t bled in two years
all my pants have left me for those
clear skin bleeding girls I hate
bleeding the rush of clag &
analysis of your friends sofa
google says I have cramp I
clutch my foot like my own baby
Madeleine Accalia is an award-winning playwright and poet from Brighton. She is a current Roundhouse Resident Artist, and has previously participated in Apples and Snakes Writing Room and BBC Words First. More information can be found on her website: www.madeleineaccalia.co.uk
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Dagenham Idol by Jonathan Edis
Jonathan Edis is a full-time dad, international lecturer & osteopath from Essex, living in south London. He’s in several poetry groups & is a rep for Forest Hill Stanza. This is his first published poem for ages.
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Postcard by Robin Lindsay Wilson
he squealed around bends
drinking until he sideswiped
the Castle Douglas sign
his golf umbrella was a shield
between gift shops and departure
but it hooked at strange faces
and hurt his arthritic hand
he almost bought a travel-rug
and oatcakes in a tartan tin
before he squared his shoulders
and crossed the road to loiter
beside Presbyterian porches
and remorseless flowerbeds
in a town without enemies
his grey eyes inched upwards
to scrubbed gutters and roofs –
no signal vibrating from aerials
no small talk from satellite dishes
with a sheepskin coat on his lap
he drank a half bottle of Grouse
while the seagulls lost interest
and his headache grew worse
when his hands began to shake
a new idea made him rise
he bought a glossy postcard
of the town’s empty gardens
and filled it with his surname
then he posted himself home
so his ache would live on
Robin Lindsay Wilson has three collections of poetry published by Cinnamon Press. His latest book is a collection of short monologues and microfiction called – Rehearsals for the Real World. His work has been published in many UK journals and poetry magazines.
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A Mother’s Love by Jade Prince
Jade Prince is a 21 year old, recent BA English Literature with Creative Writing graduate. Over the last two years, she has fallen in love with constraint and experimental poetry. In particular, she enjoys pairing strange forms with cinematic and musical stimuli.
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vii) spray paint by Sven Stears
(Canto from Larger work – PHYLACTERY)
accidentally italian again
nozzle flecked in tricolore
borrowed back
from the streets of bristol
and new york
grubbier somehow
embossed with vandalism
can dented
thierry noir
cries out from 1984
in protest
splatters red paint
over
dried blood
ducks a searchlight
and dyes
a nation the colour of riots
in 2018
i dodged a police car
grabbed my bag of paints and sprinted
had already left my mark
a toucan
behind me
It was just a taxi not the cops
looking for somewhere to turn around
I doubt he even saw the bright beaked bird on brick
or shadow turning the corner
Sven Stears is a performance poet, artist, and filmmaker. He is the current Reading Slam Grand Champion, Lyra Poetry Festival Grand Champion, and 3 times national finalist. He is currently finishing his Creative Writing MA at the University of Kent. Website – svenstears.com. Instagram – @Svenstears