Lizz Murphy #367 AFTER THE CONCERT

the moon sails

through rain cloud

a boat in the sky

a child refuses

food

on Nauru

Thanks for the invitation to come back into Project 366 Kit Kelen and congratulations to everyone who continued on beyond 2016!! What an inspiration you all are.

Lizz Murphy - Poem 329: Crossing

Lizz Murphy - Poem 307: The world divided

THE WORLD DIVIDED

dispossessed

       surging

        fleeing

war     walls           

world divided

dispossessed 

           surging

fleeing

new walls           

dividing

dispossessed

      surging

        fleeing

barriers           

razor-wire

dispossessed

      surging

        fleeing

fleeing for their lives

the world divided

by walls

into frontlines

Ref:

McCathie, Andrew. 2016. 'Europe being divided by walls once again amid migrant crisis.' ABC News. Online [Accessed November 2, 2016] URL:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-29/calais-jungle-rising-walls-reinforce-fears-of-fortress-europe/7975400

Lizz Murphy - Poem 305: The Turnbull Ban

THE TURNBULL BAN

Ban the refugee

refuse you asylum 

never let you in never 

ever let you in 

imprison for three 

years block the visa 

send you back never 

let you in never ever 

let you in send the 

clear message send 

the signals signal the 

people smugglers 

imprison the people 

block the visa never 

let you in never ever 

let you

Let you off the islands 

send you here send 

you there block the 

visa never let you in 

never ever let you in 

majority genuine 

leave you in limbo 

never let you in 

never ever let you in

block the vulnerable 

block the visa

block your families

never let you in 

never ever let you

Let that sink your boat!

Ref: 

Conifer, Dan. 2016.  'Manus Island, Nauru refugees to be banned from entering Australia, Malcolm Turnbull says.' ABC News. Online. [Accessed October 31, 2016] URL:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-30/manus-nauru-refugees-asylum-seekers-to-be-banned-turnbull-says/7978228

Lizz Murphy - Poem 209: Lilt xxiv. Hard life

Photographed at the Ulster Folk Museum

LILT xxiv.

 

HARD LIFE

A woman with a hard life on

her face and a note in her hand

I have two children in Poland

mistakes me for the rich as I 

dream on the precision of Watermarks

at the window of The Pen Shop

How can I tell her

I'm just a writer

Lizz Murphy - Poem 208: Lilt xxiii. Grotto

LILT xxiii.

GROTTO

On a doorstep

near Cathedral Square

Her blue hand on her

buttoned up breast

A copy of Issue

rain soaking the plastic cover

cold damp a cuff for her sleeve           

Inanimate eyes cast downward

no refuge in prayer here

Lizz Murphy - Poem 207: Lilt xxii. In the city

LILT xxii.

 

IN THE CITY

A woman in a shawl on an upturned crate

paper cup held out  savaged mouth

A boy with an unplayed accordion in his arms

a hat at his feet three small brothers in Romania

Lizz Murphy — Poem 89: Neighbours

Lizz Murphy — Poem 84: Exodus

Lizz Murphy — Poem 65: from Syria's children

She covers her face

with her headscarf

and a beautiful hand

her sleeping infant

limp-limbed across her lap

her grief as unshakeable

as the slammed iron gate

A poem from Syria's Children a sequence 

in response to a photo-story by award winning 

photojournalist Magnus Wennman 

titled Where the Children Sleep published at 

Mashable Australia. With thanks to Magnus Wennman.

Lizz Murphy # 19 — Asylum

Lizz Murphy # 7 — Another Day

ANOTHER DAY

 

The orchestra arrives busy magpies in their black

and whites chairs and instruments shoved and

strung across the open expanse ducks peeping near

a window savouring their greens before returning to 

the lake You take your own leave passing a lone 

musician bright as a parrot in a rear corner flipping 

music scores her fingers fluttering over each page you 

wish you could stay hear her in flight drown out the 

thrashing waves fracturing boats someone else’s day