Author(s): Rachel Bush

NZ Poetry

'My poems don't start from ideas, but from bits of language, maybe a turn of phrase that's like a tune that plays over and over in my mind. A poem can often be like a game in my head, where I want to think about something I don't fully understand. Recently a child said to me, "I'm not me. I'm someone else. I'm very strong. I'm Richie McCaw." It's easy when you're four years old to play this sort of game. Writing is one way that as an adult I can take on a different persona.'