.
put us down to slumber’s deep
pay no mind to keepers’ keep
afford no mercy as takers creep
shed not tears for the night’s unsleep
.

Dancing on the edge of a shining star she appears.
I move through darkness towards her,
 reaching out into the void, 
to touch her, 
to reach the unreachable. 

Fingertips play upon shadows where she used to be.

(As she dances)

Words reverberate back into my own ears, 

Did she hear?

Unclear.

 Visions of her blue eyes fill my mind.
Did she see?

I thought she smiled at me.

I awake to find it all a dream.
But I remember,
I can plainly see,

Her dancing away from me.
Dancing away,

Towards a star.

The time is now
In its pull
In each other's arms

The time is now
Overjoyed and thankful
Brave enough
As brave can be

The time is now
A new beginning
We'll go far

The time is now
We cannot miss
Before the faint hum of big forever

~
November 2024
HP Poet: Jill
Age: 47
Country: Australia


Question 1: A warm welcome to the HP Spotlight, Jill. Please tell us about your background?

Jill: "Mum and dad immigrated from Northern Ireland to Australia before having my brother and me. I’m very grateful to be living in South Australia on Kaurna Land. My parents were teachers, and they seeded and encouraged my love for education. At university I studied psychology, philosophy, and French. Then I went on to a PhD in psychology, and later, a master’s degree in statistics. In my day job, I’m a psychology professor, which includes lots of scientific writing. Outside work, I love playing music and singing with my partner and our friends and spending time with my precious son and our fluffy dog."


Question 2: How long have you been writing poetry, and for how long have you been a member of Hello Poetry?

Jill: "I’ve been writing poetry on and off for years. The times in my life where I have been most active coincided with having friends who were interested in reading and writing together. In high school, my dear friend and I would watch British comedy shows and write silly, surreal, or nonsense poetry. Our aim was to make each other laugh as much as possible. More currently, I’ve been writing songs with friends, including lyrics, which often start as poems. I joined HP only recently, in August 2024. This community is so generous and supportive, with such a variety of style, depth, and imagination for inspiration and motivation."


Question 3: What inspires you? (In other words, how does poetry happen for you).

Jill: "In many of my poems, I’m trying to make sense of big feelings. I often write about my experiences caring for my parents, who both had close and complex relationships with alcohol. That is a never-ending well for poetry, ranging from trying to process some of the intense events, to exploring what it has meant for my self-concept and mental health. Having said that, sometimes I’m just trying to write something that sounds pretty or might cause someone to smile. I love challenges like BLT's Webster’s Word of the Day – seeing what comes from a single word across different poets."


Question 4: What does poetry mean to you?

Jill: "In my more personal poems I am documenting, reconsidering, and re-investigating my memories, and organising them in nice, even lines, which feels cathartic. In poems, I find that the small or large amount of distance that you can create through imagery, rhyme, or humor makes it possible to explore difficult or even traumatic experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Writing poetry is a transformative exercise, but there is something greater still about sharing poetry with others."


Question 5: Who are your favorite poets?

Jill: "One of my favorite poets is WB Yeats, I particularly love 'The Stolen Child'. Other all-time favorites include Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, AA Milne, Lewis Caroll, Edward Lear, Spike Milligan, Rik Mayall, and Crawford Howard. I also love lyricists like Joni Mitchell, Michael Stipe, Stephen Schwartz, Tim Minchin, Wayne Coyne, Stephen Malkmus, and Rufus Wainright. I have so many favorites on HP – too many to list!"


Question 6: What other interests do you have?

Jill: "I love music. Since childhood, I’ve played violin in classical orchestras and musical theatre pits. I adore Irish folk music. For me, at the moment, music mostly happens with friends, with my electric violin, in pub bands of different kinds. Most of the poems I’ve written previously have only been publicly shared, adapted as song lyrics, with some of these bands. I also love all things science-fiction."


Carlo C. Gomez: “Thank you so much Jill, we truly appreciate you giving us the opportunity to get to know the person behind the poet! We are thrilled to include you in this ongoing series!”

Jill: "Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this, Carlo! It is such a privilege."




Thank you everyone here at HP for taking the time to read this. We hope you enjoyed coming to know Jill a little bit better. I most certainly did. It is our wish that these spotlights are helping everyone to further discover and appreciate their fellow poets. – Carlo C. Gomez

We will post Spotlight #22 in December!

~

Your heart's language
Is too vast for vessels made of clay,
When your soul speaks of stars and ocean spray.
In mundane realms, when walking alone,
Speaking of kindness in undertones.

Feeling it all too intensely,
When noticing wounds that others mask,
Feeling their pain is too much to ask.
While others shield their eyes in fear,
While you draw their suffering ever near.

Compassion can often feel like a knife,
In this world of thorns measured by love
Which fits you like a borrowed glove.
Yet here you stand, worn yet bright,
In the shadows of a lesser light.

Caring too deeply to turn a blind eye,  
You are not broken, just breaking free,
with empathy that others cannot see.
Your rhythm is different, its wild beat,
Makes the earth tremble beneath their feet.

Maybe it’s not that you’re too much,
Or not made to fit, but made to soar,
To crack the shell, to break open the door.
For in this world, naive souls sleep,
Whilst your waking heart feels too deep.

©️Lizzie Bevis