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‘the lactic acid in the calves of your despair’ poetry collection by Ali Whitelock

New poetry collection from Scottish Poet Ali Whitelock based in Sydney, Australia.

‘the lactic acid in the calves of your despair’ published by Wakefield Press, Adelaide.

‘The poems in Ali Whitelock’s the lactic acid in the calves of your despair are packed with hilarity and gut-wrenching and everything in between. For anyone who ever made up their mind that poetry is boring or pointless, there is a sure antidote and it is Ali Whitelock.’ Edward O’Dwyer, Bad News, Good News, Bad News, The Rain on Cruise’s Street, Cheat Sheets.

About the Book

‘Political, profound, profane. These poems of defiant disobedience crash through the barriers erected to keep us contained. Writing with humour and tenderness, Ali Whitelock takes us through the parched landscape of life, death, love, fear, regret and the unbearable sadness of losing a dog.’

What people are saying about ‘the lactic acid in the calves of your despair’:

‘So many poems I read are pretty… ‘meh’. I think, what am I not getting? But when I read Ali Whitelock’s ‘the lactic acid in the calves of your despair’ – whoosh! The top of my head blows off. Every time.’ Magi Gibson, Wild Women of a Certain Age.

‘In this her second collection, Ali Whitelock weaves unique personal experiences into universal messages about love, grief, regret and ultimately from that, the hope that comes from acknowledging the honest, damned, helluva thing that is living. What a poet. What a voice.’ Jenny Lindsay, Flint & Pitch.

‘Blurt-your-beer funny and rip-your-gut raw. Where other poets may blink or flinch, Whitelock holds her gaze and brings words to heel.’ David Astle.

‘These intimate poems in Whitelock’s second collection pulse with ear-popping language, wit, mischief, heartbreak, and hilarity.’ Rochelle Jewel Shapiro, novelist, poet, and reviewer, teaches writing at UCLA Extension.

‘Fans of Ali Whitelock’s distinctive blend of sharp, insightful, prosaic, no bs humour blended with the intimacy of confession won’t be disappointed by this latest collection. This is tremendous, witty and deeply moving poetry.’ Magdalena Ball, Compulsive Reader.

‘The poems in Ali Whitelock’s the lactic acid in the calves of your despair are packed with hilarity and gut-wrenching and everything in between. For anyone who ever made up their mind that poetry is boring or pointless, there is a sure antidote and it is Ali Whitelock.’ Edward O’Dwyer, Bad News, Good News, Bad News, The Rain on Cruise’s Street, Cheat Sheets.

As far as I can tell, Ali Whitelock’s work stands at the summit of the most intimate, original and vital of contemporary poetry in the English language.’ Dr Brentley Frazer, Riding Sharks, Scoundrel Days and Aboriginal to Nowhere.

‘A unique voice in the Australian poetry scene, Ali Whitelock sparks and sparkles in her latest kick-ass collection.’ Anne Casey, out of emptied cups and where the lost things go.

LINK TO ALI READING THE TITLE POEM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efrhlw2glaY

LINK TO ALI READING ‘in the silence of the custard’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFmNALdsx9w

Buy ‘the lactic acid in the calves of your despair’

Buy the Book at Amazon

Ali Whitelock – Bio

Ali Whitelock is a Scottish poet and writer living on the south coast of Sydney with her French chain-smoking husband. Her shiny new poetry collection, ‘the lactic acid in the calves of your despair’ is published by Wakefield Press and her debut collection,‘and my heart crumples like a coke can’ (Wakefield Press 2018) has a forthcoming UK edition by Polygon, Edinburgh. Her memoir,‘Poking seaweed with a stick and running away from the smell’ was launched at Sydney Writers Festival to critical acclaim in Australia (2008) and the UK (2009). You can read more about Ali right here: www.aliwhitelock.com

Jim and Pat’s West End Chat – Podcast: Pat Chats to Ali Whitelock

From ‘the lactic acid in the calves of your despair’

in

the

event 

of

a

lack

of

oxygen.

HOLD the earth in your hands / be careful––she is hot / talk

to her tenderly the way you might your mother at the end of

her days / honour her / place her somewhere she might rest/

perhaps the mantle piece between your bone-china swallow

mid-flight & your fake brass barometer the shape of a ship’s

wheel that will not steer us out of the storm we are in /

despite her dishevelment, tell her how lovely she looks /

offer her tea / a scone / horlicks if it still exists / slip her

feet into soft slippers / massage her shoulders rounded

from the burden you have placed on them / cradle her in

your arms /

now go to the mountains / yes, go / facetime will not suffice /

tell them you are sorry / return with no selfies––this is not the

time / now go to the rivers / listen to them / let them tell you

their stories / do not interrupt with your lies about your

recycling / like you are not guilty of slipping glass jars

& clean cardboard into the wrong bin / now get down on

your knees & beg their forgiveness / do not worry their

banks are no longer muddy your levis will stay dry /

understand in the event of a lack of oxygen no yellow

masks will drop from the sky / remove your stilettos /

leave all your personal belongings behind / tip toe

past earth’s bed / leave a note under her pillow / apologise 

profusely / tell her you’d drunk too much / that you weren’t

in your right mind / that you didn’t realise just how much

you’d loved her till she was gone /

speak when she speaks to you / if your shame will allow

it make eye contact / answer her questions with an honesty

that will feel alien to you:

yes we had ample opportunity / yes money

was more important than water & air / yes

we’re tired of our empty promises too / yes

coal yes carbon yes methane yes plastic /

yes dollars yes pounds yes euros yes yen /

yes vegan yes sweat shops yes you warned

us no we didn’t listen / yes we saw the signs

yes we ignored them / yes the bees are in

default / yes the banks are foreclosing their

hives / yes we should have planted more

lavender more rosemary more bottle brush /

yes flooding yes fire yes species extinction /

yes we should have been kinder / yes we

should have stopped to think before we

fucked her / yes we should have pulled out

sooner / yes oral contraceptives yes STDs /

yes we should have used a condom /

yes we are sorry / yes

look at this mess now.

ali whitelock ©

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