Dressed for theatre

Child-me bought paper doll dress-up books with coins garnered
from selling eggs. Pressed out cardboard figurines. Snipped
garments onto varnished floors.

Handcrafted sumptuous frocks with pastels, glitter and luncheon
paper. Decorated bodices with petals dipped in flour ‘n’ water
glue seasoned with salt to prevent mould. Embroidered hemlines
with sticky grass seeds resembling tiny beads.

Gently folded paper tabs around shoulders, waists, hips. Created
narratives for red carpet events. Shawls for warmth and glamour.

Arranged dolls under coloured spotlights – beams from handheld
torches filtered through glossy cellophane. Smoothed garments
with bitten nails. Mixed and matched accessories.

My dolls wore faux chiffon nighties. Slept in bespoke chocolate
boxes

until my nipples budded. Heralded a world beyond childhood.
I ran to greet it.

Dressed
undressed myself

others.

Gave away my dolls.

Serie Barford

Serie Barford was born in Aotearoa to a German-Samoan mother (Lotofaga) and a Pālagi father. She held a 2018 Pasifika Writer’s residency at the Michael King Centre, performed at the 2019 International Book Arsenal Festival in Kyiv, and collaborated with filmmaker Anna Marbrook for the 2021 Going West Different Out Loud poetry series. Her poetry collection (2021), Sleeping with Stones, was shortlisted for the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. 

Drop by Drop:  Poetry for Children Competition

A new nationwide competition for adults who write poetry for children has been launched in the lead-up to Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day in August.

‘Drop by Drop’ runs between now and 4^th August and will be judged by renowned children’s writer and poet, Bill Nagelkerke. Entry is free and is open to anyone in New Zealand aged 18 years and over. The prize for the winning poem is $50. Up to three poems can be submitted on the theme of ‘water’ – to be interpreted as widely and wildly as entrants like. Poems should be aimed at 5-12 year olds. For further information visit the Poets XYZ Facebook Page or email thepoetsxyz@gmail.com.

The winner will be announced on Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day on Friday 25^th August.

The competition is organised by the Poets XYZ, a trio of New Zealand children’s writers. Elena de Roo, Kathryn Dove, and Melinda Szymanik are keen to see poetry for children flourish in Aotearoa New Zealand and to develop a network of children’s poets.