Arelhekenhe Angkentye – Women’s Talk, Second Edition

Poems of Lyapirtneme from Arrernte Women in Central Australia

Running Water Community Press

Distributed by NewSouth Books

ISBN:978-0-6480629-5-0

‘Lyapirtneme is an Arrernte word that means growing back, returning. It’s like if a bushfire went through the land, and all the trees burnt down, and the roots underground are still alive. When the rain comes you see little shoots growing out of the bottom of the tree, growing back again.’ – Therese Perrurle Ryder, Arrernte Elder. 

 “Lyapirtneme is an Arrernte word that means growing back, returning. It’s like if a bushfire went through the land, and all the trees burnt down, and the roots underground are still alive. When the rain comes you see little shoots growing out of the bottom of the tree, growing back again.” – Therese Perrurle Ryder, Arrernte Elder

Poems are written in both Arrernte and English. Includes an extensive Arrernte glossary

Features poems written by over twenty Arrernte women around the Arrernte concept of Lyapirtneme

In February and May 2019, a group of over twenty Aboriginal women from Central Australia wrote the poems in this book. The women are Central or Eastern Arrernte, or have strong connections to the Arrernte community. Some would describe themselves as writers but most would not. Most of the women are visual artists, and engaged in the daily work of maintaining the cultural life of Arrernte people and passing it on to the next generations.

These poems were developed in the yearly workshops organised as part of the NT Writers Festival. There is never an expectation that the poetry produced by these workshops will be published, however the resulting collection was so strong that production costs for a book were crowd funded in a matter of weeks.

There is healing in this poetry. 

These are our words. 

From our country. 

Our lands. Our spirits.

For all the troubles we face every day, we are a passionate people.

When we hear these poems, we know, we are lovers of life.

Aside from the very appealing cover this book of words and poems has some very evocative and emotional works that I am lucky enough to be able to share with you, thanks to Running Water Community Press, the authors and the publicists, DMCPR Media.

Sunflower

I’m planting a sunflower

in my garden

watering and watching

it grow

into a beautiful flower

Just like I am watching

my grandkids

grow up

like beautiful

pretty

butterflies

Carmelina Perrurle Marshal

Something I Felt

When I woke up in the morning

I walked outside.

Everything was wet –

drops on the trees

and the smell of the air was fresh.

It wa sncie and cool.

It was something I felt

in my heart – a relief.

A sadness had lifted.

My friend,

I thought about you.

Tisha Perrurle Carter