this poem is for gilli

who once told me that writing poetry is the most important job in the universe!

poetess goddess

warrioress

wild wise woman with a pen for a sword

a sticky well used pen

encased in a sheath of grains of sand

from south golden beach

and adorned with a touch of fluff

rumagingly retrieved from the crusty bottom

of her colourful cotton celtic bag

midst the scattered crumbled makings

of a welcome fag

used tissues

old parking fine issues

piles of useless reader’s digest unsolicited spam mail

a ragged corner of dark chocolate

unfortunately decidedly stale

a purse devoid of cash

a pouch awaiting a stash

a lighter or two that might just light

she composes late at night

by hash oil lamplight

fuelled by wine or whiskey or tea

or all three

and always with the help of some lovingly smoked weed

so her body mind feels relaxed and freed

a razor-sharp intellect for ammunition

she’s on a multi dimensional experimental mission

a cosmic kaleidoscopic sorceress linguist

she expresses herself in perfect english

et la langue de francais

y espanol ole!

ancient latin

classical greek

pot head pixie cheeky speak

forgotten tongues of invisible mystics

prostitute street talk erotic gnostics

ephemeral space whisperings from planet gong

primordial psychic evensong

she will not be distracted from her work not a chance

(she really is a willful housewife

and has been her whole life)

and ‘pon completing her poetic parlance dance

we may enjoy a long rejuvenating remedial draught

of unabashed uncensored verbal witchcraft

she’ll go for the jugular in polite vernacular

proclaim the mundane as utterly spectacular

she is directly connected to intergalactica

she is starshine and moonshine specular facula

she will skillfully distill

the essence of the thrill

of one’s rebellious pledge

to live life on the edge

rally against restrictive rules and uptight regulations

deride grubby greedy lowlife corporations

chide the church

hail mary

expose deception

propose a revolution

outline the details of a fantastical solution

with well bred elocution

be informed forewarned armed and charmed

one’s artistic spirit’s now safely embalmed

swill a homeopathic dose of gilli’s fearless verse

and feel the nasty side effects of society’s ills disperse

in an intangible whiff of a cloud of a puff

of pure mother gong syllabic magic stuff

beeeeeeeee

freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

tee hee

24th july 2016

gilli performing her last gig as a feature poet

poets@the paradiso byron bay 23rd october 2013.

feature poets at the paradiso october 2013 tanya delys mandorla, rebecca rushbrook, christine strelan, vasudha harte (host), gilli smyth

r.i.p. gilli 1st june 1933 – 22nd august 2016