Reading at Titirangi

Another trip to Auckland. For S to read from her second collection of poems at the monthly meeting of Titirangi Poets. She is almost one, with us having our new home in Titirangi. Getting the first stage (at least) of the maintenance and changes done before we start staying there.

S has read here before, and indeed on one occasion, I read one of Book Spine Poems. Today was all S, even though there was a second invited reader. Afterwards three of the audience bought a copy of Star Trails. And she made a good contact with a fellow poet. 

We had to leave early from there as S was joining her fellow members of the Isthmus Poets to progress the planning and organisation for a feature part of National poetry Day. Called The Divine Muses, it has been organised for the last few years by S' mentor, who also supervised her work for the Master of Creative Writing. This year she is taking a break and Isthmus Poets have stepped in.

While they were meeting, talking and planning I had a walk around Western Springs Lake. Haven't been there for more than four months, and there has been a lot of planting on areas that can be turned dusty or muddy by the many visitors. The intent is to try and give birds protection, and channel people to stay on the paths. It may work.

I saw one Weweia (dabchick), diving for food and acting quite cautiously around the mallards and swans and more particularly the Australasian Coots.The extra was taken not long after it had resurfaced from a dive.