on September 26, 2018
IN PRAISE OF THE POETRY OF NETTIE PALMER
Nettie Palmer is one of my all time ever favorite poets .In the early 90s as a prelude to receiving a commission to write my children’s book ‘A Star is Born ‘ I immersed myself in researching poetry about parents experiences of pregnancy ,the joys of new parenthood ,the birth experience and the realm of the newborn.|t was indeed a beautiful positive tremulous heartwarming hopeful and amusing world to venture into and to explore .
The work that struck me and impressed me the most was the poetry of Nettie Palmer . In the two samples I have enclosed herein Our little Queen of Dreams and The Welcome Ms Palmer heralds the much anticipated arrival of her new baby daughter .These poems richly feminine and feminist in content resonate with such joyous anticipation ,love and breath- taking insight and clarity into the realm of Spirit and the souls incarnation and descent into the earthly planes and postulates a most glorious future for her soon to be born daughter . These poems must surely become anthems for any thoughtful parents who want the best in life for their daughters .It is with great reverence then and appreciation that I share these poems with you.
Our Little Queen Of Dreams
written by Nettie Palmer
Our little Queen of dreams
Our image of delight
Which whitens east and gleams
and beckons from the height
Takes on her human form
Is here in mortal sight
We too have loved her long
Have known her eyes for years
We worshipped her with song
The spirit only hears
her radiant self she veils
With vesture meet for earth and
and knowing all inhales
the lethal air of birth
and wakes to restless dreams of misery and mirth
The fogs of learning rise
May hide the light above
But in her steadfast eyes
Will shine the light of love
Which many a gloomy dale will know the gladness of
By custom fettered fools
Her freedom will be blamed
Because by sleepy nits
her soul shall be untamed
And she will front the sun
brown skinned and unashamed
Her kinship she will know
with every rock and tree
Wherever she may go
The sky her home will be
The wind will be her mate
Her crooning nurse the sea
(Taken from the Oxford Book of Australian Verse )
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The Welcome
written by Nettie palmer
Did you know little child
Ere you left the outer wild
There were strong hands steady
There were old songs ready
There was love prepared to keep you
With the hard earth reconciled
Did you learn beyond the moon
All the happy sounds of noon
A creeks voice will greet you
a wattle bend to meet you
There are visions there are voices
you will hear them soon and soon
Yes for you will surely go
Where the deepest gullies grow
They will feel you and take you
With birds to live and wake you
They will set your spirit dancing
They will tell you all you know
There beneath the radiant dome
Unafraid your feet will roam
With the soft creek lapping and the loose bark flapping
While the waving fern trees whisper
Little girl you’ve wandered home
Taken from the Oxford Book of Australia Verse