“Bushfire at Waterfall” is a poem that explores the ideas of how events in our past impacts on our perceptions of the present. By juxtaposing a bushfire with the intangible, emotional fires of the past Porter highlights the tumultuous effects change can have on our lives. Non-important events of the present take on a significant meaning for the persona, due to their symbolic or metaphoric connections to her past – the bushfire transports her to the ‘fiery’ ending of her passionate relationship with Charlie – the elusive lover. Drenched with powerful symbolism, such as fire and water and laced with figurative language Porter uses “Bushfire at Waterfall” to portray to the responders the intense effects of change. Porter also uses “Bushfire at Waterfall” to highlight the inescapability irrevocability of change – though the persona claims to have “murdered Charlie” and “burnt [him] away to nothing” she has been damaged by the event and cannot deny it, it is only through acceptance can she move forward.
This theme of past events moulding our perceptions of the present is also explored in Radiance, where we follow the journey of self-discovery of three sisters. Similar to “Bushfire at Waterfall” the sisters have been damaged by their past experiences, due to both injustices of society as well as detrimental relationships, and it is their individual web of circumstances that determines the way each perceives the worlds. Through blunt revelations and forced confrontations of past events, the perspectives of the sister broaden and family ties strengthened, but through this journey we the responders too are changed – the way we view their lives, actions and choices are altered with the new found understanding. The film uses costume, language and symbolism to portray this process of change – Cressy accepting the drink of vodka after initially declaring “I don’t drink beer” and her change of clothing but most significantly the three sisters driving of together at the end of the film wearing the wigs “that don’t suit”.
The film “The Godfather” focuses more on the circumstances inducing the change than the effects of the change it self. Michael, a decorated marine officer is, through a series of events, forced to transform himself into a feared ‘man of respect’. His naïve perception of his family and the world “that’s my family Kay, its not me” is significantly altered by the end “my father is no different to any man who is responsible for the lives of other people”. Unlike Radiance and Bushfire at Waterfall the change in Godfather is forced upon Michael “this is not the life I had planned”. Michael’s withdrawal from legitimate society is emphasised by the growing distance between him and the responders and the completion of his metamorphosis is symbolized by the closing of his door to Kay, us and essentially, the legitimate world of his past. Yet we do not condemn but rather empathise with Michael, through following his transformation our views of his world is also changed.
Having change thrust upon us is also the central theme in “Starfish” where Porter scrutinizes society’s ability to alter our perceptions - “you can be told to hate anything”. Using starfish as a metaphor for a number of different situations such as Jews in Nazi Germany and Aboriginals during early settlement, Porter highlights the path to the dehumanisation and mass extinction, “round you up… and get rid of you”, that takes place in society. By making illusions to Nazi Germany “Gobbles was right” Porter conjures up images of genocide and the power of propaganda. The persona is at first “rapt” at the sight of the starfish but having “the museum” an authoritative figure informing her of the detrimental effect of the starfish “gobbling them who belong here” she no longer gains the same satisfaction at their sight. The use of “Yesterday” and “Today’ further extenuates the ease with which our views can be altered.
“The Lazy Poem” is a more laid back poem by Porter, dealing with seemingly more insignificant changes. With a casual and colloquial tone, Porter displays the power of inspiration on changing our perceptions. A poet presumably suffering from writer’s bloc gains a burst of inspiration from a rosella thereby composing the poem. Like Radiance and The Godfather the poem is also used to change the responder’s view of the process of writing.
Change in perspective occurs as a result of experiences either monumental or trivial and by changing our perceptions we can alter the way we view the world, as most often it is not the world around us that change, just how we view it, and hence ourselves.
