Spore or Seed

In the spirit of Judith Wright and Gwen Harwood, Spore or Seed is a beautifully written and deeply moving collection of poetry that explores the transformative power of motherhood, the loss of self and the discovery of a new, expanded self. It traces themes of pregnancy, birth and childrearing against the backdrop of environmental threat, weaving in elements of ecopoetry to explore the interconnectedness of all life. What does it mean to become a parent in a time of climate crisis? How do we decide whether or not to have children in a time of constant uncertainty amplified by the pandemic years? And how does motherhood change us? These are the questions that Spore or Seed raises and with evocative and intimate verse uses all the tools of poetry to explore.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

‘These intimate, meditative lyrics on pregnancy and birth set the quotidian rhythms of life against the mythic enormity and mystery of motherhood. Cutting though this body of work is the eye and mind of a documentarian: Maling is a frank, wry and unsentimental guide to the state where a woman moves from ‘human singular’ to plural. In a poetic field which, as the poet says, ‘rarely has children in it’, these sharp, mordant poems prompt us to ask why.’ Sarah Holland-Batt

‘These poems’ wry humour, emotional accuracy and vivid lyricism confirm Maling is a poet of rare and mature accomplishment.’ Tracy Ryan

‘It’s a collection of poems that charts Caitlin’s experiences on becoming and being a mother, and so much more besides.’ Fremantle Shipping News