Elena Poletti Reads

*Entry By Donation*

Lullabies and other poems.

I began writing Lullabies because it seemed to me we didn't have enough that drew on our realities here in NZ.

Several of the earliest ones were set to music by Anthony Ritchie and David Hamilton, so they now have a life of their own. I keep writing to them, as that moment of dropping into sleep is such a wonderful context for reflecting on time and place, and on trust between child and carer. The terrible potential for wrongness in that same context gave rise to a series of Black Lullabies.

Other themes that have established themselves in my work over the years include perspectives on key historical events, life in the south of New Zealand, where I have lived for most of my life, and a range of poems about identity.