Ava's World

each year I partake in a poetry festival where I write a poem a day and send it across the seas. This year I used a muse - her name is Ava - a terrific exercise in getting to know Ava

Ava’ s Photo In The Wallet 

Back to base 

Is what the photo does. 

‘Your mind drifts too easily 

Always dancing with the clouds’ 

Her mother used to taunt. 

Yes, the photo is a trigger to a

moment sitting in the sand

sun on her face,

grains sifting through fingers

as wave after wave 

breaks 

For one long slender moment 

nothing else is required. 

Ava Has A Keychain

Sparkling with the colours 

of the rainbow

she winces 

unsure why. 

On some days she could stare 

at the shimmering keychain all day 

 be lost a while 

in the glitter, the glimmer.

Other days 

the only option is to throw the keychain

hard and fast against the door. 

On days like this Ava will not leave the house.

Ava’s Neighbourhood Woe’s 

When Ava first moved to Bondi Beach

(many years back)

she believed she had many friends. 

Perhaps it was her bronzed slender legs, 

maybe it was her glowing smile.

Do you think they actually found her interesting? 

On this day, right now, 

The locals 

about face

look the other way 

pretend to answer their phone 

anything but have to speak with Ava.

When Crazy Ava roams the promenade,

With, dishevelled hair

sullen face 

rollercoaster emotions

fear overrides common folk, 

with no desire to understand 

the complexities of Ava’s mind 

they walk on.

Venus Or Bust says Ava 

The fiery ball of feisty,

in a clear August sky 

‘Ah Venus,’ Ava mumbles to herself, 

‘You are a sultry one. 

Said to offer lashings of love, 

instead you are a tease.
Emitting hope in a world 

tilted on it’s own ego,

out of balance,

tipping over

when really - 

it’s all about me.’

Ava Out In Public, In The Toilets

Ava quite often finds herself loitering 

in the public toilets in Hyde Park, which are

not frequented by the average soul,

due to the dark, dank and 

considerably destitute loo’s.

There was once a frog clinging to the 

inside now yellowish porcelain.

Ava did pee on he. 

But it is not the frogs she likes to frequent, 

it is the shattered mirror image of herself

which for a moment pieces her own puzzle 

back together

Page Between Ava’s Fingers

Her mother gave her the book,

right before she passed.

Even though she knows it is

her mother’s favourite book, 

Ava can never bring herself to read it. 

Tears would surlely stream, 

like hard rain against the window.

Answers would not magically appear.

Ava has always been content instead,

With a single page between her fingers. 

Ava? Which Reality?

It’s easy to flit between, 

Once you know how. 

Some say Ava’s mind is a special one.

I do wonder though, 

if she’d prefer to stay a while,

right here,

in this, 

here and now.

Ava in A Dream, In A Dream, In A Dream

She burst thorough the door 

only to find 

she was not awake. 

Immersing herself in the bed that

slipped and sliced it’s way across the 

neighbourhood. Waking she realised, 

still, she was not awake. 

Better to lie back and enjoy the ride. 

A Shock Of Ava Hair

As Ava ages she has visions 

of sparrows nesting in her hair.

Ageing to grey never bothered her, 

the lack of closeness with humans

did drive her 

insane.

Ava’s Non Hobby 

As she watches people in the park, 

painting, playing badminton, 

practicing Tai Chi

Ava knows for her, 

hobbies are a luxury. 

With a rampant mind, 

always changing tracks.

Ava must settle for wherever 

her mind does so choose to land - 

even then -

it will only ever last a Moment or two. 

Ava’s Drink Of Old 

She can still taste the sweet tinge on her lips 

one Shot Whiskey

one Shot Amaretto

A Godfather.

A mans drink 

Over ice 

For the woman she once was. 

Snippets appear of her previous life 

less often now 

on the tatsebuds 

she remembers 

days gone by.

State Of The Planet Ava?

Standing on the cold winter pavement 

the wind sweeps her three day old smell 

into nostrils of passers by. 

Ava lipreads the newsreader 

through the shopfront window

Something about the

state of the planet 

something not even worth considering 

In Ava’s tiny world. 

Ava’s Important Stuff

It changes you know, 

moment to moment, 

day to day. 

The mind shifts like the desert

in a snowstorm. 

What was priority today 

is now adrift in the 

unkempt hourglass 

of her mind.  

Food For Ava

Mario owns the pizza place

on the corner 

near the gelato bar. 

Mario has been there 

near on twenty years. 

He knew Ava before. 

When she was still considered a lady. 

With a bulging heart, 

he will always make 

nne small pizza 

for Lady Ava 

Who somewhere along the path 

lost her way.

Music

Cole Porter drifts haphazardly through Ava’s mind. 

‘I’d like to suck with my baby tonight.’ 

Ava was someone’s baby once.

‘Your’e the top’ was sung with dazzled eyes.

Until one day, ‘don’t fence me in’

She felt like he was ‘under her skin’ 

Too much to bare ‘In the still of the night’ 

‘Down in the depths’ Ava took flight. 

‘From this moment on’

‘It’s all right with me’ 

‘Do I love you?’

‘It’s all right with me’

‘Night and day’

a mind unsure - 

‘I hate men’ - but she doesn’t. 

Ah …. Ava!

All the Voices Calling Ava

A feeling of unhinged 

from even her un-normal norm.

A typhoon of voices scream. 

some recognisable, 

some new.

Ava can’t even find room in there to 

think if there is

enough room for more voices

- there, inside her mind.

Storm takes hold, 

she waits for the calm in the eye

settles then readies herself

for the whipping torrent 

to grip once more.

Ava’s Childhood Memory 

Is there anything there

worth remembering 

her mother, soft, yet not alive to the world

her father swimming in drunkenness 

Anger replacing ripples with waves

Can the sun peek through?

A glimmer? 

A chance? 

Not in this already played out 

sequence of events. 

Ava pleads with her mind to 

land somewhere new. 

Ava’s Lovers

Can she call them that?

Lovers?

Or were they just snakes in a hole?

Making herself available to the physical

but not to love,

may have surrounded her on her own 

chess board of life. 

All the rooks in line waiting for 

their one night Queen

passage to their own delight

Ava lay in wait 

to be conquered then left alone 

to reel away further, and slowly die. 

Ava’s Family 

The street cats do not scare by Ava. 

Sharing her donated food without question, 

the cats humm and purr in the dead of the night

The moon at its fullest, 

shining across the ocean

reminding Ava, 

this is her silver lining this life.

No point in asking for another doughnut more. 

Ava’s One Word Description 

In a mind where everyone speaks at once, 

Ava battles to get a word in. 

It has become her only choice, 

To listen. 

The outside world makes even less sense 

when the humm of conversation in her head 

screams like an untuned radio. 

Passers by, watch as she talks to the voices.

Her misunderstood self, they think of as CRAZY!

Ava’s Cat 

Ten or fifteen of them 

come out to play in the dead of the night. 

Scampering here and there, 

rolling, tussling, sometimes screeching. 

Eyes shining in the dark.

There’s one street cat - 

Ava’s Millie, 

Who will never leave her side. 

Sentimental Ava

worldly possessions Ava does not own

to live simply, a request drowned 

by the downpour of confusion. 

A ring, 

her mother’s, 

worn around her neck. 

spinning the rose gold

between cracked fingers

Ava’s mind settles on the smoothness 

of a life left behind

Guardian Angel 

chuckling Ava quaffs at the thought 

of a guardian angel.

her’s left long ago.

hooked up with the handsome 

male gyspy who promised to unveil

incomparable pleasures of the dark side 

bathing in the light can only take you so far!

chuckling, Ava wonders 

if her guardian angel 

enjoys her new life bound and gagged

staggering through the murky depths of hell.

on a good day, 

Ava snatches glimpses of light,

with two steps forward - 

she will use this as her only hope.

Ava’s Number 3 is Famous

Number 3 shy’s away from the crowds, 

after having spent years in the spotlight 

she understands the triviality of it all.

it is not often Number 3 rears her ugly head.

demanding, screaming, used to the all but now bypassed 

by the good life. 

number three leaves Ava distraught more than others. 

she is just so damn out of control. 

fame can make some crazy. 

others are simply born with it.

Ava’s Rain 

she watches the heavy rain 

rat at tat tat on the window 

drenching the gardens lining her street 

filling the pavements 

flooding the drains

washing away the grime of before 

as the sun peaks through Ava walks the streets

to inspect only the puddles 

maybe now she will see the only true version 

of herself

Morning Ava, Afternoon and Evening Ava 

Her days are like a pill 

Taken three times daily 

Preferably with food. 

Morning offers hope

Afternoon reminds her of her truths 

Evening the battles truly begin again. 

Occupation Of Ava

they came uninvited, 

yet somehow they were always there. 

A party of gatecrashers 

who brought some friends

they drink, smoke, dance

leaving empties, getting high, no aim

But when the music is low 

and the sun slowly rises, 

they refuse to leave

And therein lies the problem. 

Transport Ava 

Bus 13, leaving on Monday, Wednesday and Friday

will get her home to see the house long ago 

occupied by her tiny family. 

Sitting half way to the back, on the left, by the window, 

Ava traverses backwards again

looking for answers not forthcoming. 

Knowing it is all in vain, the journey 

has become a pilgrimage 

seeking, searching for a slice of what’s passed.

Today she sits next to a young girl with headphones.

Scrolling though her young girl facebook newsfeed Ava wonders 

if this girl too is searching for something 

just out of reach.

Secrets In A Box For Ava 

There are no secrets for Ava 

wearing her heart on a Thrift Shop shirt sleeve 

with emotions dribbling like a camel looking for water 

she struggles to maintain equilibrium

In an orderly world, in her world

eagles might land without prey 

rivers might not gush like Niagra

the stars would all still shine ….

There are no secrets for Ava 

her inside is outside 

for the world to see

as she watches them takes three steps away …

Ava’s Got Talent 

Making it look easy 

Her mind is like a stovetop 

Eggs boiling on one burner 

As she lights the gas flame for a stew

Timing is paramount (asparagus shall only ever be blanched)

Paying homage to each individual  Ava claims to be

She calls the stew Madge 

For it has been simmering a lifetime 

While that egg is Meryl

Given a chance - will surely crack and break

Cindy Asparagus knows fleeting fame 

In and out of the heat - almost forgotten now 

Cindy accompanies the overdone pasta 

Timing is paramount, Ava lost the game 

She doesn’t even remember who pasta is.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I loved the complete poem. You gave life and spirit to Ava. I had to read again. A outstanding flow of words dear Poet.
Coyote

[Nipplegrinder]

Definitely revisiting this, when I have more time, and the popups are fewer. This reads lovely, so far!

[KWP]

go on revisit :D

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

those are wonderful im very intrigued ive saved them on my fav list and will return when i havemore time hopefully today (sick at home today)
you are very talented !!! love these. so well laid out too

[KWP]

I did this project with a friend in America over the course of a month - her characters name is Frieda Rose - she is a very talented writer - it was such a great collaborative experience - such a great way to get to know someone you have only imagined in your mind :D

[drew garner]

Don't have much to say just that I did really enjoy it, thank you.

[wordman]

i like the way you laid it out,it would make a great novel

[Einstein Noodle]

a couple things i especially like about this ...one:
"With a rampant mind" is that line and another is the "Occupation of Ava" because her darkening condition needed some outside influence ... whether positive or not ;{ I am duly impressed my friend! Stong and consistent narration allllllllllllllll the way through ... whew! all of your story held and touched me deeply ... there are many many people and their circle of family and friends that are touched by mental illness ... the slow and inevitable fading of Ava is heart wrenching to me ... as her family is gone and hinted that it was not the best to begin with ...she has no one to notice she is not there any more .. and as her behavior becomes more estranged ... even acquaintances avoid her .. are frightened by her... except for the pizza maker...God bless him says i! Ava lives here in my little town ..she wears all her clothes no matter how hot and humid it gets .. she hangs out at Walmart and is seen everywhere just walking ... mumbling ... its easy to think she is a drug addict but i honestly don't think anyone knows .... it can go hand in hand with mental illness :( strong poetry Elizabeth .. i saw how long it is and thought i would take a few visits to read it all but i had to find out what happened to her ... you close on a bit of a positive note says i ..at least she is inside and cooking ... and presumably eating ... completely out of her head but i can believe she is at least a little bit safe ... peace and joy dear friend
E.

[andrew mitchell]

Wow epic write Liz. Such Imagery like I was there seeing her everyday moves. Such is the neglected these days, the homeless, the mentally ill, all forgotten people but they are human like everyone else just misfortune has come there way. Makes me sad and angry as we give $ 500 million to indonesia as aid but how many countries have given aid to our drought ridden farmers or our homeless, or from our Government whom wont look after our own backyard first.

[KWP]

I donated to the farmers just the other day - I agree the government should have done something long ago - it must be heartbreaking out on the land just now ...

thanks for reading - you area gem - love across the states X