Today there is the real wolf
and the imagined wolf
mixing up with
an Airini Beautrais short story
and missiles are dropping
and children are starving
and I can only do one day at a time,
and The National is singing
and there’s a midnight moon
in the dead of the night
with the window wide open

Paula Green from The Venetian Blind Poems (2023-2024)

After a fourth month hiatus to restock my small energy jar, I am keen to refurnish Poetry Shelf. In such planet-and-self-depleting times, it feels even more important to foster a connecting hub for readers and writers, booksellers and librarians, festival organisers and book reviewers. My aim is to host a shelter, a haven, a meeting space for poetry. It is a place for music, stories, ideas, relationships, beauty, conversation, heart and aroha. It is a place for celebration but it is also a place for the growing concern and protest we feel at global and local inequity, prejudice, conflict.

I aim to post something each day:
Monday new poems
Tuesday audio and videos
Wednesday my reviews
Thursday poets on other poems
Friday various features and musings by and on other poets, interviews, thematic poem clusters
PLUS an ongoing noticeboard.

I spotlight poetry but I may review fiction and nonfiction that catches my attention.
In April I am posting features on each of the shortlisted poets for the Ockham NZ Book Awards.

I cannot promise to post every day as I am still on my recovery road and have daily patches when it is hard to function. Ironically the past week is the most challenging I have had for a long time. But I strongly believe in the power of doing things that build joy and wonder, focus on what we can do, make nourishing connections. In order to protect my small energy jar, I do not accept unsolicited poems and I cannot promise to review every book I get sent.

I am so grateful for the support you have given me over the past 18 months. Your kind emails. Your magnificent writing. And for the heart-boosting response to my recent invitations.

On Monday I am launching Monday Poems with a poem by John Allison (1950 – 2024), selected by James Norcliffe. This series usually hosts new work, but it felt fitting to pay tribute to a much loved poet. Poetry Shelf will also post a tribute feature.

Welcome back!