woa poetry
We have some amazing poets in New Zealand and nothing is more powerful that the written word. Here we offer a chance to read the poems you have heard on woa.
Local poet, Helen Lowe, will be talking to Canterbury poets, on the first Sat in the month.

Robynanne Milford & Songcatcher
Robynanne Milford is a Christchurch GP and mother of three adult children who has read as a guest poet for the Canterbury Poets' Collective  Madras Cafe Bookshop Autumn Season of Poetry Reading, been anthologised in Crest to Crest: Impressions of Canterbury Poetry & Prose and been published in a number of New Zealand literary journals.  Songcatcher (Whitestream Press, 2009) is Robynanne's first collection and she talks with Helen about her love of poetry and the passions and interests behind the collection.

The Conductor’s cardinal cap
                                            for Michael Harlow

When the conductor moved next door
he swallowed the house in music
and silence left home.

At dawn he opened with a chorus
except on days of reveille
‘lest we forget to remember’

water music flowed
breakfast eaten on the edge
when it rained acid jazz teased the air

all day he composed himself
at times percussive thumps
percolated. Passers stopped cocked

Outside the music conductor always wore
his cardinal’s cap carried his bone baton
for missa cantata, de profundus and

Deo   Deo   Deogratitias              gra  tit iaaaaas
One day he made overtures to Carmine
but when she harped on he cut her strings

Soon he was seduced by the flautist, Isabelle
on her magic flute. Ah grand opi
appassionanato all night long

in no time there were pizzicata
baby grande, twin glorias and
a boy who grew into a double base

often of an evening the 1840 was heard
complete with cannonfire.
In order for his quartet to tune up

He was forbidden to play his organ at night
so he planted by lunar cycles
to strains of moonlight sonata

When his wife sang of butterflies
the pearl fishers took her away in a net
the house mourned in adagio for strings

the e minors tucked a requiem over the whole section
and flew windward.
Soon he too was consumed, ascended a stairway to heaven

silence moved home
found a cardinal’s cap a bone baton
conducting bluebells blood trumpets bellbirds  Gloria in excelsis

(c) Robynanne Milford, 2009