Julie Anna’s first book is a bright and positive collection full of promise, which is beautifully illustrated in a variety of styles. At its heart is the idea that creativity sparks creativity, and this is something I believe in passionately – at the end are a number of ideas to help you write your own poems, produce your own artwork and models, and interact with the poems in the book. You can buy Painting Poems here.
Here is my favourite from the book:
Whiskers
Whiskers appears in my garden each morning
just as I’m leaving for school.
Bright eyes flicker through the lavender
full of the wisdom of the woods.
Black-tipped ears glisten in the sunlight,
searching for whispers on the breeze.
Elegant, graceful, poised.
Standing still and serene.
We pause for a golden moment
shared in silence.
Frozen in time
until we blink back to life.
© Julie Anna Douglas
Poetry Roundabout 