In the car, I opened my mouth
in an ugly cry – all stiff, twisted lips,
like a gargoyle, and gave a great moan
that was all vowel and no consonant.
The Vowels
Chris Ringrose is all vowels and consonants.
The Newport poet is ALL WORDS.
Starting each day with a process called Morning Pages – an idea he adopted from author, Julia Cameron – Chris likes to let it all out, “Eventually what you really want will just surface. It’s like letting a bucket down into a well – you don’t know what’s going to come up.”
Not one to suffer from writer’s block when it comes to his poetry, the words keep on coming. They might not all be winners, but nothing goes unused, with years’ worth of notebooks being kept for reference and reflection. At it since the age of 16, that’s a lot of notebooks.
So, what did 16-year-old Chris write about?
“Girls,” he says with a chuckle, “and teenage angst.”
Originally from England, Chris has been somewhat of a global citizen throughout the years, living in France, Canada and the US, eventually settling in Australia in 2012, with his family. Australia has been a great source of inspiration for the poet, “I found it quite creative coming here – everything’s new.”
Fresh perspective, resulted in fresh poems. Enough poems for a book.
Palmistry is that book.
In Case of Emergency Press called for submissions from poets all over Australia, offering to publish the works of just five entrants. Chris Ringrose was one of the talented five.
The resulting Chapbook is a masterclass in ‘elegant and sophisticated verse [that] explores mysteries, joys, experiences as they unfurl over decades. These are gentle, explorative, contemplative, but always surprising poems which repay reading and re-reading. Palmistry is the record of life which no one ever predicts.’
Palmistry reads as easily as conversation flows with the poet himself. It is all at once serious and emotional, giving you the words you never knew you needed, to express a feeling that could never be adequately conveyed. Chris’s poetry is warm, diverse and direct, in a way that doesn’t leave you searching for meaning when it is all said and done.
Chris invites anyone and everyone to come down to Palmistry’s Book Launch on Saturday February 23rd, “I hope you will be able to come and raise a glass of champagne (or juice) at the launch. My good friend and fine writer, Dmetri Kakmi will be speaking. And I will be doing a couple of readings from the book.”
Palmistry will be available for purchase on the night.
For more poetry by Chris, head to www.cringrose.com
Launch of Palmistry – Poems by Chris Ringrose
Day and Time: 18.00, Saturday February 23, 2019
Place: Holy Trinity Parish Centre, 255 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Victoria 3016
Melissa Longo
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