Literary Fiction
Soundtrack for Today
(Driving in Central Otago)
Published in The New Zealand Poetry magazine
The world here
not sinuous nor rounded
i am not engulfed within, though truly surrounded
sailing
in a tin can
The road ahead
painted slated silver sand
engraved into, cast upon, this richly rusted land
leading
into the blue
The music pumps
a soundtrack for this day
passing over, moving on, no words for me to say
cruising
no place in mind
The scene grows
and sliding past is freed
rocks build, fade, tussocks live, as far as i can see
being
just for this day
The night comes
black paint on the screen
small patches ahead, a memory, a hint of what was seen
driving
in to the past.
Winning entries
Short story
Blue Suede
Blue Suede won the short story competition
within the Critic Te Arohi.
Poems
Two Left Feet &
Andy Warhol & Burn up
Two Left Feet won a New Zealand Woman's magazine poetry competition; Andy Warhol was an honourable mention in the American Poetry Association poetry competition; Burn Up won a poetry competition in the New Zealand Listener.
This selection has been chosen to show difference and uniqueness of scope.
Coming soon
Coming soon a short story written when I was a research student on Whenua Hoa.
My Core Belief
Good storytelling is at the heart of all lasting communication.
Good science writing doesn't simplify the research; it uncovers the human heartbeat hidden inside the data.
Aileen Wallace
Aileen Wallace
Science, psyche, and creativity.
Inquiries
awallace@aileenwallace.com
Brisbane, Australia
© 2026 Aileen Wallace - living and working on Ningy Ningy country (Turrbal and Gubbi Gubbi land), I pay my respects to Elders past and present.
Empirical science, human stories, creative storytelling.