by Colette Bryce
Dawn Wood is a former lecturer in Management and Consumer Studies at the University of Dundee, and now teaches at the University of Abertay.
She belongs to the Wednesday poetry group and has published poems in New Writing Scotland, The Red Wheelbarrow, riverrun, and Eric.
Her poem was inspired by a scientific paper ‘Auditory encoding during the last moment of a moth’s life’.
Sonnet of the Noctuoid Moth
I have been granted 3 conditions,
all referring to the predatory bat:
no-bat, far-bat,
near-bat. I have been given ears
to listen, to hear the no-bat, far-bat,
near-bat. Each ear has two cells,
and possibly a third, vestigial one.
I am allowed what they are calling
anti-bat manoeuvres - auditory moments -
evasive flight -
before my death. In real life,
before my death, the situation
may be more erratic, beautifully
pointless.
Forthcoming poetry events in association with DCA.
Wednesday 14 May 7.30pm - Robert Crawford and Henry Shukman
Wednesday 21 May 7.30pm - John Burnside and Douglas Dunn
Meeting Room DCA, 152 Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DY
Admission £3.50 (£2 Students/Conc) Box Office 01382 909900
This year’s issue of Eric, the University’s creative writing magazine, is now published and copies are on sale at the English Department office, 162 Nethergate.
Winners of the University’s new annual poetry competition were announced at John Smith’s Bookshop on the main campus. First prize went to Cathy Whitfiled for ‘Altered Vision’, Judith Taylor came second with ‘Choice’, while Andy Jackson was third with ‘Hypermetropia’. The winners and judges are pictured with Colette Bryce.