It’s Poetry Friday and this week I read a wonderful book called Animals Make Us Human, which shares
stories from some of Australia’s finest writers, and scientists and conservationists. Each story shares that writer’s connection with animals, mostly of one specific species. The stories are lovely, the photos are sumptuous, but the message is also important – we need to know these stories and the threats that face our animal friends.
There was so much to love and to digest from the book, but one line stood out to me – from author Tom Kenneally, who shared the fact that echidnas, among other amazing things, are known to dream – they experience REM sleep. ‘What is it the echidna’s dreaming’ Kenneally asks. And, reading that line, I knew I needed to write about this.
When it came time to write, that line came back to me, and I knew I wanted to use it, or something close to it, and evoke a dream-like state. I settled on a poetic form new to me, the viator (which Irene Latham introduced me to last Poetry Friday). The first line becomes a refrain, used in the second line of the second stanza, the third line of the third, and the final line of the fourth. it’s a tricky form, but also a lot of fun to work with.
Here’s what I came up with:
When Echidna dreams
her dreams, curled in a spiky ball
nestled down deep
in her earthy burrow
what does she dream
when Echidna dreams?
Do streams of ants
march across her vision?
Or does she fly
or swim or float
when Echidna dreams,
imagining fantastic possibilities?
I can only guess
the wonderings, the worrying
in the dreams she dreams
when Echidna dreams.
(Poem copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)
Not familiar with the echidna? This video offers some wonderful footage – and insight.
Speaking of poetry, this week was a wonderful week for poetry in Australia – and especially for the verse novel. The Children’s Book Council announced the Notable Books for 2021 (this is a form of longlist for the Children’s Book of the Year Awards). And in the younger readers’ category there was not one, not two, but THREE verse novels. This is brilliant news, in a country where children’s poetry receives scant publishing attention. And, as it happens, I may have been also a bit chuffed that one of those poems was my own Worse Things. Happy days!
Not really poetry related (though there is poetry under the sea and this video is filled with potential poems) – here’s a glimpse at the very early morning snorkelling trip I managed before work this week. I am a wee bit addicted.
The Poetry Friday host today is Karen Edmiston. Pop over to her blog to see what other poetry goodness is on offer today.. It might also leave you wondering what you are as old as (and the answer is not ‘as old as the hills’).
I love your poem, and the thought of imagining the dreams of another creature!
Australia’s animals are fascinating! I could listen to stories about them all day. Thanks for sharing your echidna dreams.
Congratulations on “Worse Things” – that’s great news! And little echnida…what a thoughtful little poem. I’ve heard so much about them lately – but not sure why!
Congrats on Worse Things being a Notable book! That’s wonderful. I enjoyed your Echidna Viator — that repetition does make for a tricky form but you nailed it!
Thanks Karen. And thanks again for hosting.
Congrats on your news and thanks so much for sharing your wonderful poem. What fun to consider the dreams of the echidna!
Thank you Molly 🙂
Lovely poem and the form does up the dreamlike factor of it. What a fascinating question to consider.
Yes I really like the form and the way the repetition works
Loved the subject of your poem Sally. I also loved the structure of your poem and the inherent challenge in its creation. Congratulation on your shortlisting and you are rightly chuffed that three verse novels are in the mix, given how poetry struggles for oxygen in our local book publishing scene. Wonderful news.
Thanks Alan. Yes, to see poetry feature is a rare delight in Australia.
The viator reminds me of the pantuom. Aren’t echidnas fascinating. I wonder if it speaks in foreign languages when it dreams.
Yes Jone it reminded me of the pantoum too. And yes, echidnas are indeed fascinating. I’ve only seen one in the wild once.
Thanks for sharing the viator form via Irene, as I missed many posts last week. I Love the circular pattern it created in your poem–and all you share about the echidna through your poem. The video was fascinating, especially that they can survive the fires while partially hibernating underground. Congrats on your book making the Notable book list, how exciting!
Thank you Michelle – and lovely to see you here. x
I know of the echidna but adored the video all about its defenses, that wonderful “waddling pincushion”. You’ve inspired me to try that form, “viator”, with the wonderful job you did with those ‘echidna dreams’. And congratulations for your book honor, too! Have a great weekend!
I was amazed as I watched this creature! What a survivor. I’ve never seen such a tongue! I think you did a nice job with the Viator form. What does she dream about? I wonder, too.
Thank you Janice. Wondering leads to interesting places 🙂
Wow! The video was neat-O! And, helpful because I didn’t know what an Echidna is. But, now that I do…there’s a LOT that she could dream with all the foods she digs for and the fires she can survive. What a neat animal. Now, I need to know about the relationship between the echidna and humans. Great post. And, you rocked the viator form. I haven’t tried that yet…but you make me want to give it a whirl.
Thank you Linda. I am glad to share one of Australia’s special inhabitants with you 🙂
It was a thrilling week for verse novels in Australia, Sally, and for so many of my wonderful, talented friends. So delighted for you, and proud of you. Your works is always worthy of commendation!
Awww. Thank you, Kat, that is very lovely of you to say 🙂
(It would be even lovelier if I could write it without the error!)
hah – lovelier still – typos make me feel right at home!