Note on the Door, by Lorraine Marwood

This is just to tell you
that your bedroom
rotted away
at 9.15 am
this morning.

Thus begins the title poem of this wonderful collection, a poem pleasantly reminiscent of William Carlos Williams This is Just to Say, which young readers may be unfamiliar with, but one which this modern poem could be used to introduce and compare. And that’s the wonderful appeal of this collection – it can be read and enjoyed cover to cover, but can also be used to explore poetry well beyond its pages, as well as to open discussion and exploration of a wide range of themes.

From fun poems about messy bedrooms or getting out of chores, to acute observations about everyday things such as spilling milk, spinning like an acrobat to land
all over
the most extensive area,
of my mother’s
newly washed
kitchen floor.
and to explorations of truly sad events – a boy burying his dead cat, with blisters, a kind of hand weeping,Marwood shows her poetic dexterity time and again. The use of line drawings, photos and, of course, in keeping with the title, pieces of notepaper, adds visual appeal.

Perfect both for the classroom and for private reading, this is a volume which will gladden every poetry lover’s heart – and switch others on to the sheer pleasure which poetry can bring.

Note on the Door and Other Poems About Family Life, by Lorraine Marwood
Walker Books, 2011
ISBN 9781921720611

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.