Bringing back memories through poetry

Yarra’s Edge resident Lori Fellows has recently published a poetry collection, The Wide Green Valley, taking inspirations from her childhood in the regional Victorian town Orbost.

Ms Fellows said she was initially not confident about her writing and only shared her first 14-verse poem with her Docklands’ writers’ group.

She said when she read the poem to the group, she noticed nudges and whispers among the members and received very positive feedback.

Many members said they could relate to what she wrote about her childhood and encouraged her to write more.

Ms Fellows then posted her poems on the Orbost historical Facebook group anonymously and was met with applause.

That led Ms Fellows to create a collection of 24 poems, touching on her childhood memories, people from the past and things she has seen and heard.

She produced these poems in less than 12 months and decided to self-publish and use a local Orbost printer to create the booklets.

She was invited to launch the book at the Orbost Club on October 20, when she also reconnected with old high school classmates and childhood friends.

Ms Fellows described her childhood as “lonely”, having grown up on a big farm.

“Many people of my age would resonate with my poems. It seems like we all had the same childhood, but in different areas of Australia,” Ms Fellows said.

“It’s bringing back memories that they possibly have forgotten about.”

Ms Fellows moved to Melbourne in 1994 and to Docklands in 2015, when she and husband Kerry decided to downsize and get a place in the city.

“I was sick of the big house and sick of the big garden. We spent a lot of time sitting on the Monash Freeway getting nowhere,” she said. “It was a big move, but we are both very happy.”

It was while living in Docklands that Ms Fellows started looking back at her childhood and writing down memories.

“When I’m writing, it all comes back. I can see it. It’s like I’m there again,” she said.

Ms Fellows said she might be inspired to write about her retirement life in Docklands.

“I think it will come. It’s funny how it can come to me all of a sudden.”