Bodies of Water: Poetry in the Wetlands

As dusk falls, come walk through the Wetlands and let the poets take us exploring through bodies of water, ideas of home, senses of belonging and our place, as impermanent creatures, in a vast and ancient world.

We invite you to embark on a journey through bush and wetland. Flora and fauna of the wilderness accompany us as we walk, taking in the beauty of the natural world and allowing poems to guide us. Let poetry touch our hearts and awaken our senses. Nature's visual feast to unsee and see through the lens of words. A sensory experience as we immerse ourselves in the sounds, sights and smells of nature. Introspection and reflection, reconnecting you to the world around you. Join us for an unforgettable evening of art, nature, and community.

Date: Saturday, 25th February

Time: 6:00 pm — 8:00 pm

Venue: The Wetlands Centre Cockburn

ENTRY FEE – $10

REGISTRATIONS ESSENTIAL

Concession tickets available. If you are experiencing financial hardship, you can contact us to arrange entry at no charge on (08) 9417 8460 or at community@thewetlandscentre.org.au.

Bring along: Full-length trousers, closed-in walking shoes, water bottle, and a sense of wonder. Insect repellent will be available.

Event Organisers: Miriam Wei Wei Lo & SoulReserve

Featured Poets: Sarah Yeung, Nisha D’Cruz, Jake Dennis, Jerome Masamaka and Luisa Mitchell. Open mic available.

Sarah Yeung is a writer, editor, and researcher living on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja. She was the co-editor of Zou Mat Je (做乜嘢), a zine about living in the Cantonese diaspora. She is currently completing her PhD in literature at The University of Western Australia.

Nisha D'cruz is a Malaysian-Australia sometimes poet based in Boorloo. She has performed with Saga Sisterhood in both Boorloo and Naarm, and been published in Centre for Stories’ “To Hold The Clouds” anthology. You can also find her work online with Centre for Stories, Pulch Magazine and Semaphore. She is mainly inspired by sunsets and the moon.

Jake Dennis @PoetOfJazz is a Burmese-Australian entertainer. Poetry: Cordite, fourW, Page Seventeen, Poetry NZ, Seagift, Westerly, etc. Awards: Right Now: Human Rights Poetry Prize, KSP Young Writer-In-Residence, etc. Performance: KSP Festival of Asian-Australian Voices, WA Poetry Festival, Beautiful Girls: Bruno Mars Show, The Glass Menagerie, Like Blown Smoke, etc. www.poetofjazz.com

Jerome Masamaka is a poet and an academic of Ghanaian origin. His poetry appears in journals and anthologies in Africa, Australia and the US. His collection of poetry on climate change, Chiming for the Clime, is scheduled to be published by August 2023.

Luisa Mitchell is a Broome-born published author with Whadjuk Ballardong Nyungar and European heritage, working as an arts producer and writer in Boorloo (Perth). Her work has been published in Fremantle Press’ Kimberley Stories (2012); Portside Review; Centre for Stories’ Journal; and Under the Paving Stones, The Beach (2022).

This event is part of the Poet-in-Residence community initiative at the Centre and made possible with generous funding by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) and Lotterywest. Also, thanks to WA Poets Inc and the City of Cockburn.

Organisers:

Miriam Wei Wei Lo writes because life is too short and strange to let it pass without comment. Her poetry has appeared in public parks as well as in art galleries and has even been adapted for musical performance. Her prize-winning first collection was recently released as a second edition by Apothecary Archive. She teaches writing at Sheridan Institute and lives with her large extended family in Walyalup/Fremantle. She loves watching the wind ripple over wetland water

Lakshmi Kanchi is an emerging Western Australian poet of Indian descent. Her poetry explores love and its tumultuousness, fantasy and zest in nature, and allegories that provoke thought and evoke tender feelings. Her writing anatomises the complex linkages between history, language, culture, perception, and nature. She is a Centre for Stories fellow and the recipient of the 2021 Pocketry Prize for Unpublished Poets. Her poem "Watermarks" was shortlisted for the South Coast Writers Centre's 2022 Poetry Prize. She is the current Poet-in-Residence at The Wetlands Centre Cockburn where she is working towards making poetry accessible to everyone in the wider community.