The Living Dead

~Honouring our poetic ancestors ~

My at-last lover

Your face sleeps
     illuminated
in the early morning
     warmth
         of my slack arm

you're my at-last sound asleep
     child
you're my cat
     with a dreaming paw
         flexing in my hand
you're my raw storm
     gorgeously spent

and what am I, darling?
Exhausted

and full of trapped bubbles

     like honeycomb.

– Dorothy Porter (1954-2008)

Dorothy Porter (Dorothy Featherstone Porter in her early publications) was very much a Sydney poet, though she later moved to Melbourne. I'm sharing this beautiful love poem with you today specifically because tomorrow is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. I quote Wikipedia:

"Porter was an open lesbian and in 1993 moved to Melbourne to be with her partner, fellow writer Andrea Goldsmith. The couple were coincidentally both shortlisted in the 2003 Miles Franklin Award for literature. In 2009, Porter was posthumously recognised by the website Samesame.com.au as one of the most influential gay and lesbian Australians.

Porter was a self-described pagan, committed to pagan principles of courage, stoicism and commitment to the earth and beauty."

A few nights ago I watched the Australian TV movie, "Riot". It chronicles the beginnings of the Mardi Gras, and the horrendous injustices and abuses which both preceded and characterised that first Mardi Gras, 40 years ago. It's been a long, hard battle – one which I, as a straight woman, have not personally had to fight – but gay pride has become more and more celebrated, particularly at this now world-famous event in which many straight people also participate in support. (This year Cher will be guest of honour.) And times have changed. Recently the Australian public supported the right of gay couples to marry, and that right became law.

So here is a poem celebrating love, a poem which I'm sure cannot fail to move us all – written by a gay woman who was known for her courage and authenticity as well as her wonderful, often innovative poetry.

A major Australian poet, she won a number of literary awards, wrote several highly successful verse novels as well as other poetry, was a feisty performer of her work at spoken word events, wrote opera libretti, and was collaborating with Tim Finn at the time of her death, writing lyrics which he put to music. She died far too young, from breast cancer. She is not forgotten!

I featured her once before, a couple of years back, with another yummy love poem. Click here.

There is a detailed biography, as well as a large collection of her poems, at Australian Poetry Library. She wrote on many other topics as well. Do have a read!

Her books are available at her Amazon page. (I own copies of most of them, either in paperback or as ebooks, and return to them time and again.)

Material shared in 'The Living Dead' is presented for study and review. Poems, photos and other writings and images remain the property of the copyright owners, where applicable (older poems may be out of copyright).

This photo of Dorothy Porter is made available for download by Pan Macmillan.

The Living Dead

~ Honouring our poetic ancestors ~

Gorgeous Breasts

By Dorothy Porter (1954-2008)

After our first time

    we went to a Chinese restaurant

    and counted on our

        charged fingers

the relatives

the friends

    who'd never be the same

we were breathless

in the high wind

of our secret

that first kiss

like a dancer

    in the bullring

flying

    over the bull's horns

        on a quick breath

what a flirt

before the gorgeous breasts

        of the crowd!

(from her book 'Crete')

Dynamic, award-winning Australian poet Dorothy Porter died too young, from cancer, at 54, but left a fine body of unique poetry. The blurb from the posthumous Penguin volume, The Best 100 Poems of Dorothy Porter, says: 'Dorothy Porter was one of Australia's true originals, renowned for her passionate, punchy poetry and verse novels.' 

The verse novels were very readable as stories. One of the first, the detective story The Monkey's Mask, was made into a film. She also wrote the libretto of an opera, Eternity Man, by composer Jonathan Mills, which was staged at the Sydney Opera House and later adapted into a 64-minute film. In addition, Porter wrote young adult fiction, libretti for chamber operas, and at the time of her death was collaborating on a rock opera with musician Tim Finn.

Her Wikipedia entry notes: 'Porter was an open lesbian and in 1993 moved to Melbourne [from Sydney] to be with her partner, fellow writer Andrea Goldsmith. The couple were coincidentally both shortlisted in the 2003 Miles Franklin Award for literature. In 2009, Porter was posthumously recognised by the website Samesame.com.au as one of the most influential gay and lesbian Australians.'

A fascinating interview from early in her career, republished at the time of her death, is largely about her poetic influences. It's well worth a read. (The rather startling photo featured is the cover illustration of her exciting first book, Little Hoodlum, published when she was 21.)

Google seems to be the best place to shop for her books. And you can read an extensive collection of her poems at Australian Poetry Library, along with a good, concise article about her life and work.

All her poems are wonderful, but with so many of them being part of full-length narratives, and others being rich with specifically Australian allusions, I looked for a piece that could stand alone and be accessible to all readers. I love its delicious joy and slight cheekiness, both qualities characteristic of her poetry.

Material shared in 'The Living Dead' is presented for study and review. Poems, photos and other writings remain the property of the copyright owners, where applicable (older poems may be out of copyright).