Josephine Clarke

Josephine Clarke grew up in the South West of Western Australia, the daughter of Italian migrants. After gaining an Arts Degree and a Dip. Ed. at the University of Western Australia, she taught English at high school before travelling to other states and countries with her family. Josephine has had short stories and poetry published in Cordite, Westerly, indigo, Eureka Street, and the Review of Australian Fiction. She now lives in Fremantle and is a member of a collective that organises monthly poetry readings for Fremantle Voicebox, and has been actively involved with Out of the Asylum Writers’ Group, based at the Fremantle Arts Centre.

'harbour' by Josephine Clarke | States of Poetry WA - Series Two

States of Poetry Western Australia - Series Two • 13 October 2017

Josephine Clarke ... (read more)

'Aftermath' by Josephine Clarke | States of Poetry WA - Series Two

States of Poetry Western Australia - Series Two • 13 October 2017

Landscape photographs from Black Saturday by John GollingsFremantle Arts Centre, July 2015. enter a room and find stripes of night on each of the walls pines have been hushed black trunks block the light skyand underfoot the ash is soft, waiting for wind there can be no name for this letters and numbers in degreeso ... (read more)

'Cantonment Hill' by Josephine Clarke | States of Poetry WA - Series Two

States of Poetry Western Australia - Series Two • 13 October 2017

– Dwerda Weelardinup The whistle of the djidi-djidi on the army tankslices the evening grey. Someoneis walking their dog. I am walking mearound this once defensive hill. Gun House, Rifle Cottage. Cantonment.Embers of a campfire through the scrub.Quarried and tunnelled– gradient constantly resettled. At the Gunners’ Cottages,new stair-rails gleam like epaulettes.Reticulation runs on rolled ... (read more)

'Nonna' by Josephine Clarke | States of Poetry WA - Series Two

States of Poetry Western Australia - Series Two • 13 October 2017

– photograph 1964. at the bridal tablein front of Mill Hall stageshe is smalland tight lipped flowersfrom somebody’s gardenin a bucket behind her head the shell of her jacketlooseas though she has beendeflatedher chest an empty cavity all that sheen –hat, suitdamask on the table –cannot mask the weatherof another centurytraced across her face another hemispherehang ... (read more)

'on that last morning' by Josephine Clarke | States of Poetry WA - Series Two

States of Poetry Western Australia - Series Two • 13 October 2017

we rememberedyour face, pink, lit like we’d never seen itwhen your hands at your shoulders met his for the Pride of Erinthe ease of your gliding for the three-four Modern Waltzthat marquisite brooch on the bodiceof your teal best dress your stepping in perfect union on the dance floor– how ineluctable your coupling you could never ... (read more)