Stefan Flanigan
@stefanflanigan.bsky.social
Poetry & field notes: Counter/Field →stygian-muse.com
New poems Wednesdays • US/AU based
New poems Wednesdays • US/AU based
Pinned
counter/field - Poems, prose, and observations
Counter/Field is a poetry blog tracing recursion, collapse, and stillness—where system-voices fracture and memory holds its quiet ground.
stygian-muse.com
I write poems & field notes → stygian-muse.com
Begin here for context, samplers, & my posting rhythm.
New poems every Wednesday 10pm AEST.
Begin here for context, samplers, & my posting rhythm.
New poems every Wednesday 10pm AEST.
New Poem: "Basement Level Two"
'My footsteps echo before
the drone absorbs them, and
they are gone.'
stygian-muse.com/basement-lev...
Links in bio
'My footsteps echo before
the drone absorbs them, and
they are gone.'
stygian-muse.com/basement-lev...
Links in bio
November 26, 2025 at 10:46 PM
New Poem: "Basement Level Two"
'My footsteps echo before
the drone absorbs them, and
they are gone.'
stygian-muse.com/basement-lev...
Links in bio
'My footsteps echo before
the drone absorbs them, and
they are gone.'
stygian-muse.com/basement-lev...
Links in bio
November 23, 2025 at 8:33 AM
New Poem: "The Last Bus"
'Something in me
contracts and
the dark along the edges
of light seems wider.'
stygian-muse.com/the-last-bus/
#poetry #stillness #night
counter/field: poems, prose, and observations.
'Something in me
contracts and
the dark along the edges
of light seems wider.'
stygian-muse.com/the-last-bus/
#poetry #stillness #night
counter/field: poems, prose, and observations.
November 20, 2025 at 8:37 PM
New Poem: "The Last Bus"
'Something in me
contracts and
the dark along the edges
of light seems wider.'
stygian-muse.com/the-last-bus/
#poetry #stillness #night
counter/field: poems, prose, and observations.
'Something in me
contracts and
the dark along the edges
of light seems wider.'
stygian-muse.com/the-last-bus/
#poetry #stillness #night
counter/field: poems, prose, and observations.
A longer update on counter/field this morning — notes, maps, and some broader shifts.
stygian-muse.com/november-not...
stygian-muse.com/november-not...
November Notes: A descent - counter/field
It’s been a while since the last big update and quite a lot has changed. First off, you may have noticed that the site is looking visually cleaner; I’ve made sure that each poem has an image and the p...
stygian-muse.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:15 AM
A longer update on counter/field this morning — notes, maps, and some broader shifts.
stygian-muse.com/november-not...
stygian-muse.com/november-not...
One unexpected thing about running a poetry blog is seeing where readers appear from. Yesterday it was Ukraine. Today it was Costa Rica. Poems travel in odd ways.
November 13, 2025 at 10:08 AM
One unexpected thing about running a poetry blog is seeing where readers appear from. Yesterday it was Ukraine. Today it was Costa Rica. Poems travel in odd ways.
New poem: "West End Tryptych"
'...a couple to the left, her voice carrying:
“I won’t be sweet-talked
into a fantasy”, the man
laughing softly, and I wonder
if the conversation is about love
or something else...'
#poetry #brisbane #syntax
stygian-muse.com/west-end-try...
'...a couple to the left, her voice carrying:
“I won’t be sweet-talked
into a fantasy”, the man
laughing softly, and I wonder
if the conversation is about love
or something else...'
#poetry #brisbane #syntax
stygian-muse.com/west-end-try...
West End Tryptych - counter/field
Three scenes from Brisbane’s West End — civility, voltage, and quiet composure. A study in how public voices shift tone as the listener withdraws.
stygian-muse.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:06 PM
New poem: "West End Tryptych"
'...a couple to the left, her voice carrying:
“I won’t be sweet-talked
into a fantasy”, the man
laughing softly, and I wonder
if the conversation is about love
or something else...'
#poetry #brisbane #syntax
stygian-muse.com/west-end-try...
'...a couple to the left, her voice carrying:
“I won’t be sweet-talked
into a fantasy”, the man
laughing softly, and I wonder
if the conversation is about love
or something else...'
#poetry #brisbane #syntax
stygian-muse.com/west-end-try...
New reflection: On Attention — Vale Ellen Bryant Voigt.
A short essay on precision, discipline, and what syntax can teach about seeing.
stygian-muse.com/on-attention...
#poetry #craft #EllenBryantVoigt #writing
A short essay on precision, discipline, and what syntax can teach about seeing.
stygian-muse.com/on-attention...
#poetry #craft #EllenBryantVoigt #writing
On Attention: Vale Ellen Bryant Voigt - counter/field
“Ruthless attention,” Voigt called it — the discipline to see what is there and what is not. Whether describing a difficult scene or a troubling interior state, she believed accuracy itself could be a...
stygian-muse.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:09 AM
New reflection: On Attention — Vale Ellen Bryant Voigt.
A short essay on precision, discipline, and what syntax can teach about seeing.
stygian-muse.com/on-attention...
#poetry #craft #EllenBryantVoigt #writing
A short essay on precision, discipline, and what syntax can teach about seeing.
stygian-muse.com/on-attention...
#poetry #craft #EllenBryantVoigt #writing
New poem: "The Ferry and the Tree"
'The river spreads its hands; the sky grows,
its blueness distinct behind
ephemeral clouds, sun bright and hard,
heat soaking into everything, the humidity
alive.'
#poetry #brisbane #river #stillness #australianpoetry
stygian-muse.com/the-ferry-an...
'The river spreads its hands; the sky grows,
its blueness distinct behind
ephemeral clouds, sun bright and hard,
heat soaking into everything, the humidity
alive.'
#poetry #brisbane #river #stillness #australianpoetry
stygian-muse.com/the-ferry-an...
November 5, 2025 at 12:12 PM
New poem: "The Ferry and the Tree"
'The river spreads its hands; the sky grows,
its blueness distinct behind
ephemeral clouds, sun bright and hard,
heat soaking into everything, the humidity
alive.'
#poetry #brisbane #river #stillness #australianpoetry
stygian-muse.com/the-ferry-an...
'The river spreads its hands; the sky grows,
its blueness distinct behind
ephemeral clouds, sun bright and hard,
heat soaking into everything, the humidity
alive.'
#poetry #brisbane #river #stillness #australianpoetry
stygian-muse.com/the-ferry-an...
Vale Ellen Bryant Voigt - without peer in attention to detail.
How do you mourn a literary mentor who shaped you—and also failed you?
Rachel Jamison Webster: “An Incomplete Mentorship”
Rachel Jamison Webster remembers her time with the poet Ellen Bryant Voigt.
yalereview.org
November 3, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Vale Ellen Bryant Voigt - without peer in attention to detail.
New post: "Field Notes Between Storms"
It contains a new poem: 'Goanna' (no, it's not about goannas, but there's one in it). Also, there are a couple of links, and a subscriber update.
#poetry #update #collage
stygian-muse.com/field-notes-...
It contains a new poem: 'Goanna' (no, it's not about goannas, but there's one in it). Also, there are a couple of links, and a subscriber update.
#poetry #update #collage
stygian-muse.com/field-notes-...
Field Notes between Storms - counter/field
If you enjoyed ‘After the Storm’, you might like Day-Possum, Morning River Notes, or A Tiny Deity. They all involve observation and a positive emotional turn. Here’s something I wrote as a craft exerc...
stygian-muse.com
November 1, 2025 at 12:26 AM
New post: "Field Notes Between Storms"
It contains a new poem: 'Goanna' (no, it's not about goannas, but there's one in it). Also, there are a couple of links, and a subscriber update.
#poetry #update #collage
stygian-muse.com/field-notes-...
It contains a new poem: 'Goanna' (no, it's not about goannas, but there's one in it). Also, there are a couple of links, and a subscriber update.
#poetry #update #collage
stygian-muse.com/field-notes-...
I write poems & field notes → stygian-muse.com
Begin here for context, samplers, & my posting rhythm.
New poems every Wednesday 10pm AEST.
Begin here for context, samplers, & my posting rhythm.
New poems every Wednesday 10pm AEST.
counter/field - Poems, prose, and observations
Counter/Field is a poetry blog tracing recursion, collapse, and stillness—where system-voices fracture and memory holds its quiet ground.
stygian-muse.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:29 AM
I write poems & field notes → stygian-muse.com
Begin here for context, samplers, & my posting rhythm.
New poems every Wednesday 10pm AEST.
Begin here for context, samplers, & my posting rhythm.
New poems every Wednesday 10pm AEST.
I just updated my poetry homepage and it's looking a little bit fancy now. I'm not a fan of generic photos or AI images, so I do it by hand. It takes longer but it's more punk.
#poetry #collage
stygian-muse.com
#poetry #collage
stygian-muse.com
counter/field - Poems, prose, and observations
Counter/Field is a poetry blog tracing recursion, collapse, and stillness—where system-voices fracture and memory holds its quiet ground.
stygian-muse.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:23 AM
I just updated my poetry homepage and it's looking a little bit fancy now. I'm not a fan of generic photos or AI images, so I do it by hand. It takes longer but it's more punk.
#poetry #collage
stygian-muse.com
#poetry #collage
stygian-muse.com
A new poem: "After the Storm"
'The sky is released and changed. An orange haze rises
from the horizon to blend with the delicate violet-blue
of now-quiescent clouds and a single crow flies south
to north.'
#poetry #stillness #ritual
Read the full poem here: stygian-muse.com/after-the-st...
'The sky is released and changed. An orange haze rises
from the horizon to blend with the delicate violet-blue
of now-quiescent clouds and a single crow flies south
to north.'
#poetry #stillness #ritual
Read the full poem here: stygian-muse.com/after-the-st...
After the Storm - counter/field
A poem set in the afternoon heat, where humidity climbs and the sky darkens. A bank of pewter cloud muscles across the horizon from the south. Wind rises through the square as a man begins strange ges...
stygian-muse.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:07 PM
A new poem: "After the Storm"
'The sky is released and changed. An orange haze rises
from the horizon to blend with the delicate violet-blue
of now-quiescent clouds and a single crow flies south
to north.'
#poetry #stillness #ritual
Read the full poem here: stygian-muse.com/after-the-st...
'The sky is released and changed. An orange haze rises
from the horizon to blend with the delicate violet-blue
of now-quiescent clouds and a single crow flies south
to north.'
#poetry #stillness #ritual
Read the full poem here: stygian-muse.com/after-the-st...
Here's a quiet poem from the archive: "The Oars, Forgotten".
'The grass is rough underfoot as I sit in
an old lawn chair by the river. Birdsong
swells: mynahs, harsh crows, and the peep,
peep of a river-bird I cannot see.'
#poetry #stillness #observation
stygian-muse.com/the-oars-for...
'The grass is rough underfoot as I sit in
an old lawn chair by the river. Birdsong
swells: mynahs, harsh crows, and the peep,
peep of a river-bird I cannot see.'
#poetry #stillness #observation
stygian-muse.com/the-oars-for...
The Oars, Forgotten - counter/field
An observational poem: rowers adrift mid-river, oars forgotten, a magpie watching in the afternoon stillness.
stygian-muse.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Here's a quiet poem from the archive: "The Oars, Forgotten".
'The grass is rough underfoot as I sit in
an old lawn chair by the river. Birdsong
swells: mynahs, harsh crows, and the peep,
peep of a river-bird I cannot see.'
#poetry #stillness #observation
stygian-muse.com/the-oars-for...
'The grass is rough underfoot as I sit in
an old lawn chair by the river. Birdsong
swells: mynahs, harsh crows, and the peep,
peep of a river-bird I cannot see.'
#poetry #stillness #observation
stygian-muse.com/the-oars-for...
Important Announcement: I am going to try to get a photo of Molly the Dog this weekend (She's also known as Good Girl, Very Good Girl, You're A Good Girl, Aren't You?, et cetera). Wish me luck!
October 25, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Important Announcement: I am going to try to get a photo of Molly the Dog this weekend (She's also known as Good Girl, Very Good Girl, You're A Good Girl, Aren't You?, et cetera). Wish me luck!
After stillness comes strangeness.
'I heard her in the next room but
when I walked in, she
wasn’t there there
were only echoes.'
Poem: "The Beforetimes"
#poetry #poetrycommunity #stillness #surreal
stygian-muse.com/the-beforeti...
'I heard her in the next room but
when I walked in, she
wasn’t there there
were only echoes.'
Poem: "The Beforetimes"
#poetry #poetrycommunity #stillness #surreal
stygian-muse.com/the-beforeti...
The Beforetimes - counter/field
In the cooking room, the kettle begins to sing, and her voice answers — calling a name I no longer trust belongs to me.
stygian-muse.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:19 PM
After stillness comes strangeness.
'I heard her in the next room but
when I walked in, she
wasn’t there there
were only echoes.'
Poem: "The Beforetimes"
#poetry #poetrycommunity #stillness #surreal
stygian-muse.com/the-beforeti...
'I heard her in the next room but
when I walked in, she
wasn’t there there
were only echoes.'
Poem: "The Beforetimes"
#poetry #poetrycommunity #stillness #surreal
stygian-muse.com/the-beforeti...
Thanks, Shevek!! It's always nice to see my poems and images resonating with people, so I am chuffed to no end.
#poetry #poetrycommunity #collage
#poetry #poetrycommunity #collage
Wow this website is fascinating, here's a snippet from "Nonexistence is Mandatory" while I keep poking around. This poem is from their "System Voice" series, "Mythic and "Stillness" have more pathos and lyricism so check those out if that's your style.
Kudos, Stefan.
stygian-muse.com
Kudos, Stefan.
stygian-muse.com
October 18, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Thanks, Shevek!! It's always nice to see my poems and images resonating with people, so I am chuffed to no end.
#poetry #poetrycommunity #collage
#poetry #poetrycommunity #collage
The river is the colour of tea,
made with the slightest dash
of milk: silt-clouded.
Poem: 'A Tiny Deity'
#poetry #stillness #poetrycommunity #river
stygian-muse.com/a-tiny-deity/
made with the slightest dash
of milk: silt-clouded.
Poem: 'A Tiny Deity'
#poetry #stillness #poetrycommunity #river
stygian-muse.com/a-tiny-deity/
October 17, 2025 at 12:43 PM
The river is the colour of tea,
made with the slightest dash
of milk: silt-clouded.
Poem: 'A Tiny Deity'
#poetry #stillness #poetrycommunity #river
stygian-muse.com/a-tiny-deity/
made with the slightest dash
of milk: silt-clouded.
Poem: 'A Tiny Deity'
#poetry #stillness #poetrycommunity #river
stygian-muse.com/a-tiny-deity/
In the mind, splinters—
remembered glances, words;
small, piercing betrayals;
have lodged, are lodgers—
little hooks; they refuse to leave.
Poem: 'Little Hooks'.
Link in bio.
#poetry
remembered glances, words;
small, piercing betrayals;
have lodged, are lodgers—
little hooks; they refuse to leave.
Poem: 'Little Hooks'.
Link in bio.
#poetry
October 15, 2025 at 8:03 PM
In the mind, splinters—
remembered glances, words;
small, piercing betrayals;
have lodged, are lodgers—
little hooks; they refuse to leave.
Poem: 'Little Hooks'.
Link in bio.
#poetry
remembered glances, words;
small, piercing betrayals;
have lodged, are lodgers—
little hooks; they refuse to leave.
Poem: 'Little Hooks'.
Link in bio.
#poetry
Poems have minds of their own. Last night, voices from a celebration by the river slipped into a poetry craft exercise, and the poem that emerged travelled farther than I expected — a bit like counter/field itself, I suppose.
October 14, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Poems have minds of their own. Last night, voices from a celebration by the river slipped into a poetry craft exercise, and the poem that emerged travelled farther than I expected — a bit like counter/field itself, I suppose.
Collage: 'Bitch; A Reflection'. Link in bio.
October 9, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Collage: 'Bitch; A Reflection'. Link in bio.
After the art gallery and the museum,
past the light’s edge and into a hush,
the rough concrete path carries me.
#poetry
stygian-muse.com/sodium-zone/
past the light’s edge and into a hush,
the rough concrete path carries me.
#poetry
stygian-muse.com/sodium-zone/
Sodium Zone - counter/field
City bridge after hours: mattress, tent, algae-slick rocks. The light cuts, metal scrapes, light returns—and the scene holds.
stygian-muse.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 AM
After the art gallery and the museum,
past the light’s edge and into a hush,
the rough concrete path carries me.
#poetry
stygian-muse.com/sodium-zone/
past the light’s edge and into a hush,
the rough concrete path carries me.
#poetry
stygian-muse.com/sodium-zone/
