Paul Cannon

When the insistent
dull roar of the
world reaches
murderous crescendo
in my body,
its long knives piercing,
I take my wounded self
along bush paths
folding into nature,
just for my soul,
spice under my tongue,
I hear the musicality,
see the intricate
brush strokes, feel
every sheaf of poetry
that flutters or
rustles nearby,
and slowly I
come back into
my body.

Paul Cannon is a poet who contemplates the mysteries of life in all its wonder and his experiences of the journey. Paul lives with his wife Lyn in the south-west corner of Australia where two oceans meet, a place that inspires life and writing.

This poem appeared in What We Hold On To: Poems of Coping, Connection, and Carrying On — Winter 2026, published by The Chaos Section Poetry Project. We’ll be featuring each poem from the collection individually in the weeks ahead. You can read the full collection or download a free PDF of the chapbook here.