TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Sunday, September 26, 2004

8:36 PM
Posted by jodi rose

"At night I listen, tending the dark, keeping stars.
Alert to the presence of the invisible, which never comes to light.
I travelled all the way to Chile to find you, to an isolated mountain top where the stars open like flowers. Constellating dreams... here it rains stars."

From Virginia Madsen program on Sunday Night Radio National 20:00
Dark Rooms, a speculation on the dark space of listening and night - is there any room any more for the dark?" Gorgeous.

Breaking the cycle of 'there's so much to do, where do I start' and feeling continually and completely overwhelmed... spent the day at Little Bay, swimming and hanging out with Julaine and Nira (her dog), joined by Garry, Helen, Oskar and Harvey (their dog) and another puppy with enormous paws, white socks and much joyous jumping around.

Listening to the program on night, stars, dark, astronomy was such a beautiful, reflective space, took me out into a galaxy of poetic reverie. That's a rare and transcendent place. Feeling harsh and brittle, too much concrete and sunshine in my life right now - needing the quiet calm of dark places, a ride over the mountain in the back of a pick-up under the most intense jewelled velvet sky, many hours gazing at dramatic ocean storms from a cosy room with huge windows and an open fire.

But real life keeps turning, ear to the grindstone..... back on the treadmill of production. I need more space for poetry in my life. Where did it all evaporate to after the last infusion? Trying to create art feels hollow, the meaning has all drained out. It's endless editing and admin and talking about nothing.

Although on saturday morning I stumbled upon the Newtown Laughing Club, as I walked around St Stephens Cemetery, and joined in with 15 people throwing their arms in the air laughing, for 20 minutes of laughter. Very refreshing, and invigorating.

Enough of this rambling slightly whiny rant, time to get constructive. Log onto ichat so I can work with sophea in helsinki, write up some ideas in a structured form, and get some sleep. Good night, dream of wandering stars.