Home is...
By Candy Royalle
Lying beneath blankets
breath bouncing back at me
the cadence of the ocean
lulling
along with the patterned
inhale
exhale
of the dog at the foot of the bed
seeking warmth from my feet
and I from her body
Darkness sits
light is lurking
morning stirring
I am almost awake
eyes closed
chasing sleep through
lucid dreams
Home is this doona
pulled up past my nose
my warm breath
inhale
exhale
a drawing of strength
for whatever comes next
...
ABCN and Red Room Poetry teamed up to create a unique workshop series that explored themes of home. In workshops led by celebrated Red Room poet Candy Royalle, mentors from Genworth and Year 10 students from Leumeah High School mapped connections with memory, community, character and the heart-strings that tie us to different places.
The workshop participants were guided through various writing and performance activities to create and share a collection of poems that celebrate home – the things we love, those that make us laugh, what we hope to change and how we aspire to live. These poems were then compiled into an anthology called Finding Home, which was launched at Leumeah High School on 28th October 2014.