THE MAGPIES by Denis Glover, read by Jasmine Low

The Magpies is one of the most well-known poems, depicting the everlasting and unchanging Magpie call (nature) as life happens (passage of time). It was written in only six stanzas by New Zealand poet, printer, publisher, satirist, sailor and boxer Denis Glover (1912-1980). And here's the most famous, benign line that seems so simple and yet time withstanding: -- "And Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle/The magpies said," -- The Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a black and white chesty bird native to Australia and New Guinea. Famous for their vocalisations that mimic the environment, Jasmine was targeted three consecutive times and was 'swooped' on her head while walking past a street in Zetland, NSW. When she recorded this from her mother's balcony in Sydney, there was surely a commotion, magpies were congregating from one tree then to another. What a loud and busy affair it was! The Magpies is read by Jasmine Low as a tribute to the nation, Australia, one of the luckiest countries in the world, her second home. She is neither native to the other land she calls home, Malaysia, but that is still her Motherland. The land where her mother and her mother's mother were born, bred and lived. They were the Nanyang Chinese who immigrated at the turn of the 20th century in search of a new home. As a fourth generation Malaysian Chinese now living in Australia, IDENTITY has been a lifelong quest. No land welcomes her home except in the quiet of her heart. Even there, appears a conflict of duality where an all-serving filial piety native meets a braver Mulan-like idealistic artist. Who wins? Not her but the Magpie will keep its calling true. Official podcast website: https://listenbyheartpodcast.wordpres... Also streaming on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | wherever you get your podcasts. Search for "Listen by Heart: Voices from the Women of the South China Seas" published by GoJasmineLow. Read the full poem: https://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~tf/poem1... Listen to a Paul Kelly version of this as a song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Xja... Experiential journeys begin at www.jasminelow.com

LISTEN BY HEART: Stories from the women of the South China Seas

Celebrating International Women's Day 2021 with WORD action! #ChoosetoChallenge #IWD2021 #IWDPoetry

Open call to women of Southeast Asian heritage to submit poetry & short stories to be featured in a podcast. 

From 2003-2012, I was actively writing, performing spoken word poetry and organising poetry & music gigs in the Kuala Lumpur circuit. Together with Jerome Kugan, Sabahan singer songwriter and then editor of a lifestyle magazine KLUE, we formed Wayang Kata in collaboration with the British Council Malaysia and Apples & Snakes UK to showcase performance poetry. Those were great days of unraveling stories from so many interesting layers of society and cultures. 

girlgungho · Jasmine Low does "Spoken Word"

I had an idea back in 2006-2007 to collect and curate stories in the form of poetry, song and short stories for an audio book titled ROOMS. I recorded two original performance poetry pieces I wrote - one was performed at The Actors' Studio Bangsar and the other was a gig - you're listening to a younger me. I collected a few recordings from women writers and poets, but never published it. That idea never left me, it was always there, just waiting for the right time and I think this year may be the right time to bring it alive. 

So in conjunction with International Women's Day this year and their tagline #ChoosetoChallenge for spoken word poets, this one's for all of you ladies! Read more on IWD 2021...

And who has inspired all of this, I suspect? A young lady by the name of Amanda Gorman at the inauguration of Joe Biden as President & Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States of America.

So here goes... This is an open call to women of Southeast Asian heritage, no matter where you're living now. I'd love to hear your stories and if you'd like to be featured on my podcast, LISTEN BY HEART: Voices of the women of the South China Seas, drop me a email at jasminelow@jasminelow.com.  It's my hope and desire to turn this project into an open source archive for women of Southeast Asian heritage to share their stories.

I will get the ball rolling with my own stories, readings of poems and interviews with mum in the first season of the podcast. It'll be an ongoing work-in-progress and you can listen to it here: listenbyheart.webprojx.com.

Thank you and please subscribe to the podcast for updates.