of reality
by Stephen House
it is the collaboration manifestation of once or now experienced
and recollection of former celebrated instance defined and chosen
way of being and needing together with self-forming colouring
creating the familiar collective of all existing surrounding within
self-narrative structured spontaneously to accompany ongoing path
through the entirety of self as individual constructed understanding
as dawn into dusk continue and changing revolves accompanying
seasonal sliding by and offering view and feel with sound sensation
while touching and kindness of eyes and smile by near ones loved
and memories of forever encounters old and new stranger others
be them as lover or passer in sliding journey as clusters grouped
by related somehow to delight in and amused by or sex-attracted to
and those who have been significantly of it solid in the now but no
more than earth creatures of planet surviving quietly offering glimpse
of wildlife nature as it is and has been reminds we are only as air is
and also hope of continuing but flower will wilt and tree yellow
so backwoods kept untouched by human or machine still surviving
in pockets of what is freedom as sea lapping washes by wave storm
froth and current flows as swimming floating or sinking one with
but also part of the cities stood in to travel to and towns once villages
somehow on the build and sought driving to nowhere or hiking to be in
and sleeping in dreamt room or shelter by offer for anywhere as nights
of clubbing and the bars once everything to hold for dance and flirt
and drink or drug and fucking like the world eternity youthful crave
all being for mine only with it holding and family and pain watching
dying mother who she is coming to finality and love inside for son
or daughter or all adjoining who came about from long chapter
in timing as them and us and how unknown is always still drifting in
away and how life is living and presence has unfolded emerged phase
descends and decay highlight bliss of reality for the yoga in breath
equals meditation on what is as is be it one called me or you as them
whether span received has been shortened or long or happy or terrible
it is cherished because it is much more of how it is for this has been it
About the author
Stephen House is an award winning playwright, poet and actor. He’s won two Awgie Awards (Australian Writer’s Guild), an Adelaide Fringe Award, First Prize Rhonda Jancovich Poetry Award for Social Justice, The Goolwa Poetry Cup, First Prize SA Writers / Feast Short Story Prize & Second Prize Poetry at Sawmillers. He has been shortlisted / highly commended for Lane Cove Poetry Award, Overland’s Fair Australia Fiction Prize, Patrick White Playwright and Queensland Premier Drama Awards, the Tom Collins, Robyn Mathison, Eyre writers, Mindshare, Rhonda Jankovic Poetry Awards, Di Cranston Script Award, and a Greenroom best actor Award. He has received Australia Council Canada and Ireland literature residencies, and an Asia-link India literature residency. He has seen his plays and poems published widely. His poetry collection “real and unreal” was published by ICOE Press Australia. He travels widely and continues to perform his acclaimed monologues.
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