September 10

Poems

A baby cries by Maria Josey

A look of love by Steve Gregar

A new life by Daphne Hargreaves

A poem for Kallahari by K. Danielle Edwards

A Quiet Radio, A Dim-Lit Room by Heather Taylor-Johnson

A teenage girl’s mother by Maria Josey

A tyranny of infant proportions by Ros Schulz

An autistic child to his mother by Caitlin Louise Thomas

At twelve by Sharon Kernot

Baby blue by Jackie Hosking

Balloon World by Ros Schulz

Bath towel wings by Nathan Curnow

Beloved sons by Ian C Smith

Bubble bath babe by Marilyn Linn

Careless by Debra Kaufman

Collecting honey by Silvia Manuela

Creation by Sheryl Persson

Earth to Avoca by John Blackhawk

Edges of me by Lyndal Edwards

Five-day-old parents by Cameron Semmens

Flowers for Anna by Linda Wyrill

For Hannah by Kylie Lehman

Goodnight by Michelle Brock

Harvey by Stella Jones

Have you done your jobs yet? by Jackie Hosking

Hey, watch this! by Heather Taylor Johnson

I remember… by Liana de Jong

If I would by Shoshana Kleiman

Laura by Sheryl Persson

Labour of love by Maria Quinn

Little gems by Siimon Petkovich

Letting go by Vesna Leto

Love at eight by Debra Kaufman

Manflight by Heather Matthew

Married with children: An aubade by Brandy Lien Worrall(-Yu)

Moods of a mother (with postnatal depression) by Kristin Martin

Motherhood by Sue King-Smith

My grandchild by Marilyn Linn

My Life - Dawn to Dusk and then some...) by Victoria Purdie

My perfectly imperfect princess by Kimberlee Francis

New beginnings by Felicity Chapman

Night terrors by Jackie Hosking

No Giants by Ros Schulz

Ode to pregnancy by Karen Peradon-Alaga

Ode to Sadie by Missy Willis

Painting your picture by Kylie Lehman

Please Don’t Play in the Toilet by Jackie Hosking

Reverse Parenting by Sheryl Persson

Poo sticks by Teresa Dikkenberg

Portrait by Heather Taylor-Johnson

Reef dreaming by Ray Liversidge

Revisionist tale by Khadijah Ali-Coleman

Roman at three by Maria Josey

School of elephants by Linda Wyrill

Second shift by K. Danielle Edwards

Secret and silent rock by John Blackhawk

Seeds of Honesty by Ros Schulz

Spared by Sheryl Persson

Stark raving mad by Mardi Sheridan

Support by Heather Taylor Johnson

Sweating it out by Ian C Smith

The dream that haunts me by Hal Judge

The sound and the sigh by K. Danielle Edwards

The three of them by Marilyn Linn

The Transit of Venus by Sheryl Persson

The tricycle by Tiggy Johnson

They think I’m normal now by K. Danielle Edwards

Thirteen by Sharon Kernot

This girl will burn… by Hal Judge

Those laughing eyes by Richard & Esther Provencher

Through Daddy’s eyes by Richard L. Provencher

Timeless toys by Leanne Wicks

Today we played by Missy Willis

Tom is growing up by Fiona Johnston

Trio by Andrew Slattery

TV Tragedy by Anne-marie Taplin

Untitled by Lynette Washington

Voices by Sharon Kernot

Wiggles by Tiggy Johnson

Will He? by Richard L. Provencher

“Tired is my middle name.”*

Back when my second child was a baby I’d never have thought that, almost six years on, I’d still be sleep deprived. There are at least four big differences now – my resilience is worn down, I’m working and not on maternity leave, my son can walk, and he can struggle and argue about why he won’t go back to sleep. For about two years now we have lived with the likely prospect that every night, somewhere around 3.00am, we will be woken by a little voice saying ‘I’m scared’, or some variation thereof. Last night was the clincher – I haven’t been back to sleep since 3.30am – and it’s time to seek help. We’ve tried everything – the usual reassurance and cuddles, soft music, a nightlight, dream catcher, crystals, meditation CD – and I’m horrified to say that nothing has worked! I’m heading for a helpline right now!

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* © from Being Mummy by Anne‑marie Taplin published April 2007