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Lidija Šimkutė - bilingual poet, translator. B. Lithuania, arrived in Australia 1949 after 5 years in Germany post WWII. Worked as dietitian in hospitals. Extended Lithuanian studies in USA & Vilnius University. Published three poetry books in Lithuanian, twelve bilingual (incl. transl. into German, Polish & Japanese) and in literary journals / anthologies in Lithuania Australia, Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Japan, Scotland, Ukraine & others, incl. World Poetry (2008, 2010)

Turnrow’s Australian Contemporary Poetry (edit. John Kinsella) – 2014. Poetry used in modern dance, (choreog. G.Sederevičius, E.Cameron Dalman)  theatrical  & music /voice compositions (composers V. Juozapaitis, V. Germanavičius, Anita Hustas, R. Naujanyte-Bjelle,  (“Words Stutter” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u8J_zrZX30; Ben Lunn ( “Kiek Pasaulių” (How many worlds) string quartet performed in England and Scotland, won The Maxwell Geddes prize for New music in Scotland (2019). Translated into sixteen languages. Poetry read by author and used in Margery Smith’s compositions for voice and chamber orchestra at The Sydney Opera House - Utzon Recital Hall, world premiere of "White Shadows” / Hourglass ensemble and “Ocean Hum"/Grevillea ensemble at The Flute Tree, Sydney Oct,2015. L. Šimkutė represented Lithuania at the European Literature Festival; in Tokyo, on Zoom, 2020.   Šimkutė is included in  prof. J. A. Krikštopaitis  book “ Life truths of Eminent Individuals” (2016).

www.ace.net.au/lidija

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reflections on belonging

a palmers chronicle right bw

Graphic Novels

Exlibris by Stasys Eidrigevičius

Outliving people and trees

Tomas Venclova

Click/Tap text-box to read all the introduction

 

CORNFLOWER SKY

 

 

        In the middle of sky’s temple 
                        blooms a flower

                                           Kabir

A BIRD CALL
       pierces
first flicker of light

sun hides
its gold
in the trees

       *

HOW BEAUTIFUL
are the beginnings
of things

I watch
the pale of the moon
in the dawn of the sky

do not ask why

         *

TIME LINGERS
to wash away words

while the leaf dreams
inside the leaf

the flower lifts its head
from its scattered sleep
and meets the sun

            *

SCARVED WOMEN
cuddle newborn loaves
to their breasts

weave wide skirts
through potato
and onion sacks

lettuce head girls
       arrange
fresh picked flowers

embroider dreams
with sun thread laughter

             *

COBBLESTONES
of Vilnius
unfold centuries

every morning
before the city wakes
the lonely walk

near fading lilacs
a woman rustles
through rubbish

she sorts the bins
into plastic bags

sits on the park bench

feeds the birds
              her hunger

        *

ON DRAGON’S SHIP
she swirls
with sun spirals
in her hair
she captures
the cornflower sky

and looks at sleep
through window ruins

           *

THE BELL
left its church
absent–mindedly
in search of lost
            hours

           *

EVERY MORNING
at the break of dawn
with hand made brooms
men and women
sweep the streets
of the city

at intervals men sit
by building fences
           to smoke

women’s faces
lined in hardship
gather their
loaded  dust

        *

THE WIND’S MOAN
fills the sky
with raven wings

blood maple
spreads
across fading sun

birds collage
opens to chorus

        *

LONG WHITE NIGHT
walks the ceiling

doors echo
all they’ve heard

windows stare
into an empty street

a Persian cat
ghosts the footpath

Scelsi’s Anahit
enters the walls

 

 

from bilingual poetry collection “Something is said” published by Lithuanian Writers Union publishers, Vilnius,  2013

 

 

 

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