
Jack (Ode to a Curious Life)
Written by Jack O’Connor
Just north of one Port Phillip Bay,
water and eyes an ocean hew;
a newborn child took breath that day,
his life had begun new.
Jack was his name, of Irish line,
before a century’s debut;
and so we start our steep incline,
into a world fresh and new.
In youth obsessed with plants and birds,
endless novels to purview;
‘Velociraptor’ recorded in first words,
cataloguing species ancient and new.
Though social tact was… sadly missed,
into curiosity I grew;
mind set on palaeontologist,
parents set on pathways new.
See, I lived amongst a clan,
with no science or art in view;
to them, fossils doom career plan,
for stability, choose something new.
Architecture sang of flair, of mind,
a job which could accrue;
so from there out the choice behind,
would nature stage a mental coup?
Walls of empty canvas boxed me in,
as a cage could surround you;
past building sketches came sound thin,
toward it my attention drew.
It spoke of colour, of shades, of light,
a hope I could strive to;
pushing past the shades of white,
with renewed strength I drew.
A canvas is a spotless board,
creation limitations few;
and nature’s inspiration soared,
open, the curtains drew.
Clouds danced from my frenzied keys,
whilst digital mountains grew;
graphic design I found with ease,
inward, the breath I drew.
I pioneered my PowerPoint art,
its boundaries I slew;
it drew me back to the start,
for nature, for life, I drew.
Now drawn back to life extinct,
I summoned all I knew;
to reach my course I hardly blinked,
and presto! Now uni to go through.
I fought hard to convince my kin,
pushed my scores to ensue;
to learn each phylum, limb, and fin,
and reach the point I wanted to.
Global Challenges was now my course,
a unique science avenue;
but the imposter wave’s a mighty force,
a wall I’d run into.
I tutored classes, devised promotion,
with talented peers to live up to;
I volunteered, scanned the ocean,
searching fields to break into.
SciComm brought me to the stage,
my creative side felt déjà vu;
I finally started to turn the page,
a stable road I could look to.
Study flew me ‘across the ditch’,
a Pukaha internship held me true;
then a Malaysia exchange was my pitch,
avian linguistics I strove to.
Nine months were planned for over there,
I ended up with weeks two;
fate seemed to not be playing fair,
with a virus worse than any flu.
Trapped overseas as the world shut down,
bird research? Off it flew;
here settled a constant frown,
as I struggled with what’s true.
My network helped us to escape,
I helped the students through;
I spoke our way through miles of tape,
then a flight home heading true.
That year would spiral, lost its shine,
trapped inside like fly to glue;
my mental health would soon decline,
couldn’t tell the false from true.
Now as we open, I lose reserve,
growing to nature like bamboo;
deciding which I should conserve,
including me… had to be true.
I now head a SciComm group,
with my Honours near in view;
my brain no longer feels like soup,
this part of life feels true.
Just north of one Port Phillip Bay,
water and eyes an ocean hew;
a young man breathes today,
a curious life he’d still pursue.
My name is Jack O’Connor, and I am a 22 year-old Zoology and Conservation Biology undergraduate hailing from Melbourne, Australia.
I want to thank you for your perusal of this ode that has been sitting in my head for quite a time. Poetry has always spoken to me as a more complete way of passing the depth of my feelings on, and I hope that this provided an interesting (and possibly thoughtful) retelling of my story.
I wish you all a safe, sane, and serene slide through this wonderful world.
For more of Jack, check out @_jack.oconnor_ on Instagram


One Comment
Jack O
My absolute pleasure to write for such a spectacular community 💚