Patricia Irvine was born in Port Pirie, SA, on 5 May 1947. A week later she returned to the family home in Snowtown. Yes, folks: a Snowtown girl and proud of it! Her family moved to Adelaide when she was five. She has lived on the Lefevre Peninsula for many years.
She is a retired Catholic, a lapsed historian and a former secondary teacher. An enthusiastic paddler, she operated a kayak touring business in the local mangroves for many years. She is now studying for the Advanced Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing) at Adelaide Institute of TAFE.
An avid reader of poetry all her life, she finally decided to write some herself. In the past four years she has won several poetry contests and a nature writing contest. She has performed on 5UV ‘Writers’ Radio’ and on ABC 891. A suite of her poems was broadcast on ABC Radio National’s ‘PoeticA’. She participated as a performer and writer in the Vitalstatistix National Women’s Theatre production ’21 days’, and read some of her material on Radio Adelaide.
Her adaptation of Kirayama prizewinner Pascal Khoo Thwe’s autobiography From the land of green ghosts: a Burmese Odyssey will be broadcast on ABC Radio National’s ‘First Person’ in 2004.
She has published articles on ornithology and mangrove ecology and has had a script accepted by ABC Radio National’s ‘The Science Show’. Her interests include beachcombing, kayaking, surfing, weight training, birdwatching and kelpie appreciation.
She loves aerial sports: she’s a former diver and trampolinist, and has 987 parachute jumps and 350 hours of gliding. She has never done a bungee jump but says she’s happy to try it if somebody else pays.
Donne’s Condom
Ere that I lay mee down a-bed,
Ere that owre love wee consummate,
Lest shee shall bee undone by Donne
When shee shall think it all in funne,
My condom shall I don.
I stand enclosed in latex caul.
Let the sunne’s beames not shine at all
On mee and shee I cherish,
For what shall stay my mistress’ fall,
Alas, if rubber perish?
Each atomie and molecule
Unites in heavenly tension still.
Let no man but a knave or foole
Await the coming of the Pill.
From Leaving the Mickey
Variation on a Theme
of Emily Dickinson
Irritation – is the walking –
Of a dog beside the sea
And launching – from my hand – a sphere –
High and ballistically –
And finding that – when canine teeth
Make ultimate connection –
The orb has dropped into the brine
Despite – my firm direction
And that I must remove my shoes
From pedal installation –
And fetch the fucking ball myself –
And suffer marination.
From Leaving the Mickey
Takin’ the Piss
After Geoff Goodfellow
i was in the Federal
last pay day
sinkin’ a few
when in comes that loud runt
y’know what that rhymes with –
& starts yellin’ at us
don’t call me lad, dad –
bullshit
shortarsed wanker
everybody knows
y’ gotta keep yr kids in line
kev & me
come in
f’r a quiet beer
& this little areshole’s roarin’
at the top of his voice
‘e shoulda stood on the jetty
we still coulda heard ‘im
fucken poser
gave us all the shits
so i grabbed ‘is beer
& baptised ‘im.
takin’ the piss areya? i sez
well more than one
c’n play that game
& by the way mate
tell me
do you like sex & travel?
cos if y’ do y’ c’n
fuck
off
From Leaving the Mickey