Alice Night

My name is Alice Night. I am a singer, poet, and theatre maker. 

I have written a collection of 50 poems that speak to women's empowerment, recalling ritual in a modern world, and connection with nature. I have titled this work What Now Boudicea? in an attempt to honour history, to atleast remember the times in which Celtic and Pagan ways of life were fuctioning cultures. Boudicea stood against the Romans as they attempted to take land and culture away. 

The question that guides this poetry collection is simply 'what can we do now, today to heal humanity and learn from a broken past?' I do not wish for battle and war but it seems clear that something must be done to protect the vulnerable, to rekindle communion with nature, to re-orient ourselves to story and community and health. Poetry is one place I feel I can be bold, I can say what I truly feel, I can abandon social etiquette and let roar the feeling fires. 

There is so much unnessesary suffering in the world. This collection of poetry is a humble attempt to create personal and political peace and remembering in hard times. It is a plea in search of good leadership, it is a provocation in search of the healthy leader within us all. 

If you chose to support this publication you will receive a copy of the book signed by me this Australian winter. 

The 50 poems are written, it's in final editing stage, the illustrator is currently creating the cover image, the designer is ready to go. I just need a little financial support to get it over the line and into reality.  

Some poems are long beasts such as the spoken piece 'Superwomen' in the link here, others are shorter offerings that may simply enhance active appreciation for the world around you. 

You support in pre-purchasing this collection is deeply appreciated. 

With love, 

Alice Night 

ART + HONESTY = ALCHEMY

EXAMPLES FROM THE COLLECTION: 

KINDNESS 

The amphitheatre doesn’t hold the answers, 

doesn’t know how swift you’ve been with your hating. 

In the great malls of fluorescent fondling 

what do we have? 

Where to from here?

Brazen distance 

speak to no-one 

know your kindness 

if nothing else

if nothing else. 

THE WOMAN

Desperate 

is the woman who sings - only 

once all the people leave the home, 

so

no-one can hear her sharp calls 

like eagle the shrieking 

as she wails agony at ancestors 

to let her go.

Go silently she was told, go gracefully, 

go willingly, rebellion is not attractive 

and you don’t want to be alone 

do you?

She waits until storms burst like ripe fruit on a white dress. 

Colour trickling down the canvas. She’s 

a mess, a distant mother, an unsexed wife, an absent friend, 

neglecting the Earth’s callings as she rejects her own.

Wishless now, she is stagnant like a broken thing, 

left to dust and rust, under piles of possessions 

unwanted, rejected, replaced, misunderstood 

as damaged goods. 

Her frame is chipping, her glass splintering and weak, 

her legs twisted, can’t support even a child anymore. 

She’s forgotten, 

but has found a safe place, 

holding up the boxes of stranger’s histories and things.

The Woman. 

LAZY EYE THE GODS 

In the face of the man 

with the lazy eye and the sweating forehead

can you love? Can you lean in closer, closer again? 

to touch his tender shoulder 

in divine embrace.

You want to love me?

you perceive me as the Goddess...? 

Then speak only truth from your mouth

and love the man with the lazy eye first and always. 

You will never have me.

How dare you lie to get by and call that life? 

Dionysus with fennel staff tipped by pine cone, 

wound with ivy, dripping with honey 

beyond the borders of the known

would be appalled, wouldn’t they? 

You want to come closer to me

you dream your own ejaculation 

but I am figment, fibre and choking smoke. 

I am womb and grave and fire dance   

and I command you see the God in yourself.

You pity your saddened skin,

don’t know where to settle your gaze, 

but I am telling you, look lovingly 

into the face of the man with the lazy eye

when all is done and shame is history 

you will at least have known something like love. 

ALICE NIGHT 2018

The funds raised here will pay for a professional designer Cameron Semmens to lay out the book and to print 150 copies of it. 

And also to pay the illustrator for the cover art. 

By supporting this publication you are essentially pre-purchasing the work and thus enabling me to print it. 

I've intentioanally set the funding target very low here but in reality it will cost more than $800 so any support above this figure will feed back into the printing project and allow me to pay the illustrator more etc.  

Ilustrator: Shannon Murphy

Designer: Cameron Semmens 

Printing company: Ingram Spark

Independent Print house: Wildflower Press 

I can't foresee any issues in following through with this printing project. 

I have intentionally kept it very simple.