“Margaret Clark’s poetry is a joy. I loved Frayed Edges, her first book, and I read it in one sitting, such was my delight! In this marvellous new collection, Clark continues her insightful foray into the experiences of a life well-spent. Her excellent use of metaphor is a powerful tool. For instance, Clark skilfully utilises ‘Aristotle’s Elements’ – fire, wind, water – to address current environmental degradation. She concludes the poem by simply yet tellingly asking, ‘But what of the earth, the stoic earth?…when will she turn, and say, “No more?”’ Clark’s vocabulary, refreshingly devoid of the merest hint of pomposity, her subtlety, gentleness of expression, humour and perception combine wonderfully. Her use of conversational language, with her delightful rhythm and pace, is special. Her poems resonate with the reader personally. Her sense of irony, indeed her quirky view of life, and her rare ability to move the reader from warm chuckles, a burst of giggles, the odd guffaw, to a sudden, surprising, slow slide of tears feature in ‘Not a Love Poem’, ‘Seasons of Life’ and ‘Farewell’. Clark’s poems are very much a modern woman’s life story. They are enhanced by her delightful sense of humour, humility and a complete absence of pretentiousness or arrogance. Poems such as ‘ Oh, I Wish I Hadn’t Eaten That’ and ‘Best We Forget’ deal with life and its attendant absurdities, joys, sorrows and dramas. Margaret Clark gives voice to the thoughts and emotions of us less talented individuals. For this we can only say thank you.” – Frank Brennan Dip T, B.Ed., Superintendent of Education NT (retired)
Over de auteur
Margaret Clark spent a nomadic childhood in England, Scotland and Ireland before emigrating at age ten to South Australia. After school and college in SA, she married and moved to the Northern Territory supposedly for three years, but staying for thirty. She worked as a teacher in remote Aboriginal communities, raised two children and later retrained in the field of architectural drafting and design.
A move to Brisbane prompted another life change, working for the Anglican Church and doing part-time theology studies.
Retirement brought her and husband Nigel back to South Australia and proximity to their growing family.
The nomadic nature of childhood has not left her and retirement has brought opportunities for travel which has been the inspiration for many of the poems in this collection and also brought reflection on the joys of home.
Her poetry has been published in several anthologies by Friendly Street Poets, The Eremos Institute and the Guardian Magazine of the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide. Some of her work has also been set to music and performed at the Toowoomba Christian Music Symposium and in churches in Queensland and South Australia.
She is a committee member of Friendly Street Poets, a poets’ collective for the writing, reading and publishing of poetry in South Australia, and was co-editor for their 2016 anthology Many Eyes, Many Voices.
Tourist or Pilgrim? is her second book. Her first poetry collection, Frayed Edges, was published by Ginninderra Press in 2016.
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