That moment

If every one of us
comes blood-red
wide-eyed and
roaring alive into
the world
then maybe
every birth
is a creation
and every bed
or shed or
palace is
in that
moment
the garden.

Diamonds

The earth is so heavy
it can crush
weeds into diamonds.

Some mornings
the weight of it all
even after orange juice

and a sharp talking to
is more than enough to
squeeze the juice out of me.

Some mornings I have to
wait for the weight to lift
just so that I can do

all that is required.
Perhaps though
even with the help

of coffee I have it all
wrong. Maybe all of us
are waiting

for the weight to shape
us crystalline bright
sharp and precious.

Paul Turley was born in Wales and mostly raised in Adelaide where he now lives again after a number of years in Europe and the USA. A Master of Philosophy graduate from the Department of English and Creative Writing at Adelaide University, and initiator of the inclusion of poetry readings at the McLaren Vale Serafino Wines 2014 Gorgeous Festival, he writes poetry, in part, “to make him pay attention to the little bits of life”.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.