Geoff Goodfellow, aka ‘The People’s Poet’ has been writing and publishing poetry for over 42 years. He has often been referred to as an Activist Poet, having been the poet-in-residence to the now CFMEU and also in the same role at Yatala labour Prison. He has published 12 books of poetry, 2 text books, a boyhood memoir and a verse novella. His most recent book ‘Nostalgic Adelaide: poems political, social & cultural’ was launched during the 2026 SA History Festival by former South Australian Premier & Arts Minister, Mike Rann.

It’s mid-May in Adelaide

& my apricot tree is beginning

to shed its leaves

while in the Adelaide Hills

autumn leaves glow with colour

& in the North Adelaide parklands

possums scurry & birds flee in fright

as the roar of heavy machinery

& chainsaws echo & reverberate

while trees fall . . .

in the wake of Mali’s ratings.

See more Adelaide Park Lands poetry here: https://www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/park-poetry and send contributions to our Park Lands poetry editor Deb Stewart at poetryintheparklands@gmail.com