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HOLD THAT TIGER

By Chloe Wilson

That morning, in the mirror,
I’d pulled my draping cheek-skin upward.
I had shone, taut and foreign,
the gums and incisors
glistering with saliva.

While evening and the show crowds gathered,
I watched him. The chain glinked
as he traced his circle,
always stalking - even the grass
shivered under his breath.

Entering the ring, he beckoned
me to dance, laid one
paw on each shoulder
and rolled me in the dirt.

His mouth opened wide
as bedclothes, and I scented
the iron on his tongue
while he hinged his hips

and the crowd thought I was dying.

Tigers like to dine alone.
I knew this; yet stayed a moment
too long, waiting
for an invitation

and was not all that surprised
to find a joint of meat missing
from my thigh.

They hunt by pressing you
to their hearts, then
kicking out your insides
in a casual sweep.

There’s the danger.
Not, after all, in the teeth
but beneath the tail,
which, like a finger,
searches out any pleasures
the front end may have missed.

This one slid
his tongue along the contours
of my bowel,
sniffing like a sommelier.

That night, he cleaned himself
thoroughly, that supple
tongue spreading like a stingray
under the nails
and detailing the groin;

ignoring the crowd
nobly, as they shook
the metal bars
that keep them safe.

‘Hold That Tiger’ is featured in The Mermaid Problem, Chloe Wilson’s first collection that has been published as part of the APC’s 2010 New Poets Series, more details here.

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The Business of Poetry

The Business of Poetry

Unleash the power of language to create many streams of revenue!

Click here to be inspired by the unique story of a poetry/clothing collaboration called A Stitch in Rhyme.

THE NEED

  • · poets, like many artists, feel reliant on the industry and government support to provide them with funding, subsidy, publication, opportunities to read, professional development and a career
  • · there are thousands more poets in Australia than opportunities for publication or funding
  • as the number of Australian poets grows, funding opportunities become more competitive
  • ·for a poet in Australia, ‘success’ is traditionally seen as:

a) Being published (preferably in a reputable journal)

b) A poetry/writing residence

c) receiving a grant

d) Festival participation

e) Appearing at poetry-related events

f) Payment for a reading or workshop

But even the most ‘successful poets’ who are published regularly and invited to read on a recurring basis, do not earn a living solely from their poetry, as there are simply not enough opportunities for regular substantial income.

So how do Australian poets make a living? They don’t.

THE SOLUTION

The Business of Poetry Online Workshop, run by Entrepreneur in Residence at RMIT, Marcus Powe, starts on Monday August 2nd and runs for ten weeks (until Monday Oct 11). To register, please email a half page proposal outlining why you want to earn a living and/or income from your poetry, ideas you personally have for doing so and your commitment in pursuing this goal to paul@australianpoetrycentre.org.au

If you have registered and been accepted, please pay for the course below. Once you have done so, you will receive an introductory email and the course will begin.

Please read the information below, before paying for the course here:

Preferences

Each week (for ten weeks), participants will be asked to set goals and follow specific steps in order to achieve their goals. Together, with Marcus, participants will identify problems, solutions and strategies in order to plan for success and begin sustaining a career as a poet.

You can participate from any location in the world, as long as you have an email address. The course costs $220 for non-APC members. If accepted into the course, you will need to be a member of the Australian Poetry Centre. You can join here.

If you are an APC member, the course costs $200 (that’s $20 a week for the sake of your career) and places are limited. You do not need to pay until you have been accepted into the course. Once accepted, full payment is to be made before the course begins. 

More support for artists in business can be found www.drbusiness.tv