YARRA GLEN OR....

Thursday night, straight after work, I headed off from Pakenham for a night of poetry. I headed cross country....past Cockatoo....Seville...Wandin....stopping a couple of times to check my very dated Melways when I seemed to be driving past more paddocks than anything else (I have the old fashioned kind of phone, it makes phone calls). And heh presto...and hour and a smidge later...there I was...Yarra Glenn.



You may wonder what awaited me at this small community. Firstly the most charming gallery....Acme et al....to the left of the pub in the main street. The store at the front has an eclectic mix of books and toys, jewellery and home made wares...then you walk into the gallery itself.

Allow time to pause and admire...the artwork is very good.

And towards the back, the small cafe which is where the poetry was to be held.

Hosted by the talented and dare I say quirky Sandy Jeffs...it was a very good night. A small open stage which offered to me poets and voices I had not heard before (always very inspiring).   Then the featured poet...the night  I went it was Karen Throssell. 

Karen's poetry led us to some very dark places...dealing with the death of a loved one....surviving cancer....but also to some viewpoints about 'religion' which to me were very enlightening. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Q & A at the end of the night. Fascinating to be able to ask a poet questions and hear their answers as to why they write what they do, or what they have yet to write about. How they see themselves in the world.

After a real clanger of a day at work (you really don't want to know the strife I had!) - and then the tad frantic drive cross country (I kept telling myself to turn right -where else could I end up...the thought of New South Wales did enter my mind at one stage) - this poetry night was a touch of sanity.


It is a journey I want to make in the future. And intend to.

For those interested - it begins again in 2013- the first is on 14th Februrary (Valentines Day), 7 pm....$5 entry fee gets you the most amazing bread and home made dips....and some really damned fine poetry.

After a day at work what more do most of us need?

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