Reading poetry brings us closer to understanding life’s intensities. But poetry surrounds us it catches up with us, whether we like it or not. Some actively avoid it, like a confrontation not ready to be had. We don’t talk about poetry a lot these days. For me, The Jaguar reflects the heart-load we carry when it comes to caring for, and worrying about, those we love and those who need to be loved. Jeanette Winterson says “for the poet, there are words and there are words only”. Her work on and off the page is heartfelt. Along with her incredible poetry, Holland-Batt is one of the staunchest advocates for improved aged-care in Australia. I return to The Jaguar regularly, carried away by Holland-Batt’s words, which draw a line between human suffering and what it means to be human in this world. It speaks in a gentle but electric tones to all those whose parents are unwell, or who might be wading through an undertow of grief that threatens to pull them under. The Jaguar feels like a painting in words.
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