Pantoum for Red-tailed Black Cockatoos
By Emma Trenorden
Hitching my skirt to pee, I look skyward to see only dark
A screech, kree kree, then an outline of cockatoos black
Overhead, like comets, red tails paint a fiery arc
Flying west into night, later a boomerang back
A screech, kree kree, then an outline of cockatoos black
Even when I doubt, from darkness returns a spark
Flying east into light, later a boomerang back
First brush strokes of my day, also the last
Even when I doubt, from darkness returns a spark
Hand on belly, this baby’s arrival, like dawn will crack
First brush strokes of my day, also the last
As afternoon shadow grows, the nest beckons us back
Hand on belly, this baby’s arrival, like dawn will crack
Overhead, like comets, red tails paint a fiery arc
As afternoon shadow grows, the nest beckons us back
Hitching my skirt to pee, I look skyward to see only dark
Emma Trenorden is a mparntwe-based poet and singer-songwriter. Born on the volcanic island of Rabaul, she now calls the red dirt and blue skies of Arrernte country home. She is an Arts Therapist with an interest in how we care for our wellbeing in a changing climate. In 2024 she released her debut EP,
reWILD, alongside a debut book of poems,
HIGH FIRE DANGER. The poems, written in response to the Black Summer Fires, and songs of
reWILD are a way for Emma to contemplate ways to stay connected to our wildness in these turbulent times.
Mahalia Charlotte writes about women – how they survive and live in this world. In 2025, she won the Katherine Heat of the Australian Poetry Slam and was a Top End Finalist. She was also chosen as part of Red Room’s 30in30 commissioned works. In 2026 she has been invited to speak at the Red Dirt Poetry Festival.
Spandana Pillarisetty is living and writing from Mparntwe/ Alice Springs on Arrernte country. They were born and raised in Hyderabad on the Deccan Plateau, before moving to Wurundjeri country for almost ten years. Currently they work with young people and communities on Arrernte country and continue to be moved by the stories that people and places hold.
Salty Plums (2022) is their first collection of poetry about sharing food in the public spaces of Mparntwe and they have since written poems whenever they can.
