D.P. Percy Poet . Writer

Poetry as a Threshold to Your Inner Voice

Reading and listening to poetry is a lifelong devotion, having written my first poem at twelve. Anglo-Irish poet, David Whyte, put it beautifully when he said, “Poetry is language against which you have no defence.” I hope you will find what I find in the poetry that speaks of our humanity and the mysteries of life: an allure to hear your own inner voice, led by the rhythm, intonation and images of the poem.

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Formally published poems to date have appeared in my 2009 video, The Power of Place, portraying the capacity for nature to reflect and evoke our inner leadership: and my book, Standing in the Fire, with poems of loss, grief, and renewal, like the theme of the book itself. You can read a sample here.

While some focus on loss, others celebrate the journey through grief into the gentle light of surrender and renewal. You can read about the phases here in an essay titled The Fear Cave, the Border Ground, and the Hope Land.

I use images from nature and humanity—a sacrificial fire, a garden, rivers and valleys, little birds splashing in a bird bath, a pair of worn-out shoes, for example—to express metaphors from the soul. These everyday phenomena contain a hidden beauty we can access to soothe and uplift; a healing tonic for our troubles and grief. Poetry, like no other language or imagery, represents the chalice which contains that tonic. Along with spoken prose, the site showcases recordings of my poems. Some of these have been presented at library readings, and at Australian and international festivals including conferences in Italy and the US, to enthusiastic response. I will add to the recordings progressively.

A selection of poems