Author(s): Louise Wakeling

Poetry

Off Limits features toads and torched pubs, and the hidden lives of foxes. The title poem suggests spaces that are barred, out of bounds. By extension, the collection probes underground mindscapes and the buried lives of others. Lifts manhole covers, shines a spotlight on the ways the human heart enacts rebellion. ‘Tunnel rats’ skateboarding in Sydney’s drains. Cavers making erotic forays into the forbidden White Bay Power Station. Developers eying off iconic buildings. These poems capture the desperation of commuters trapped on motorways, of long-distance lovers navigating desire between hot chilli sauce and Arizona landscapes. This is the territory of space travel and robots, the wonders of biomimicry and the transcending of our limitations to learn from animals. Wryly ironic about humanity’s dream of reinventing itself on other planets, the poet resists the trashing of the one we inhabit. This is poetry of passionate engagement, clear-eyed and firmly earthed. 'Wakeling is the skeptic arsonist; sharp-eyed seer of the under things of places you thought you knew. Here she burns the words to see their lights. Watch your step.' – Chris Mansell