Birthdays are lots of fun and Poem No 3

Well it is my Birthday today and there is something about saying to yourself  "I don't have to do that if I don't want to - it is my birthday after all" that I really like.  So, even though I have all my usual chores to do today, and Uni later this afternoon, for some reason I don't feel pressured.  Because I am telling myself "you can opt out any time you want"  -  should really keep that mantra going, if it creates a more relaxing environment heh...

 

Back to reality - I am getting a little irritated listening to the morning news with items on what the NSW politicans are doing around the hustings, the promises they are making, the money they are wasting...I am all for free speech and informing people about your policies, but the libraries are full of books that record the broken promises....

And now for Poem No 3 - how many do you need for a collection, silly questions I suppose, a small collection would probably only need about a dozen maybe....mmm...only 9 to go then:):)

A PLEA FOR TIME OUT

I don’t want to think about things any more

I just want to listen to the rain

I don’t want to feel anything

I just want to watch the water

Finding its way down my window pane,

I don’t want a feeling heart

I just want to be like the rocks

Overlooking the ocean

The wind blowing in my face

Shaping me sometimes gently

Sometimes not.

I don’t want to have to keep up or

Match the pace

As my life whizzes by

and My breath always just one

Nano second behind

I want to be stationary for awhile

And watch the ebb and flow of the

Water, allow it to marks its way through

My vision and then my inner self

Creating streams and rivulets of patterns.©

 

Sundays - and poem no2

I have had a slow start this Sunday morning for some reason, but sometimes that's what Sunday's are for isn't it?  I have received some lovely feedback on my poem yesterday - so thank you:):)  I keep finding that this blogging world really is a creative space.

I have put the next poem on today and I am thinking about putting together a number of my poems for a collection for publication - I know...big plans but heh, you have to have a dream:):):)  This one is called 'Trust'

I’ve known the answer all along
To my questions
As I search for
my place in an ethereal space

The journey covered many hurdles

To open my mind

And allow my heart

To be claimed

My heart had to learn

to lay its own claim

To feed my empty soul

Its life-blood had been almost stilled

Then you came beside me

believed in me – you were always there

I just had to learn to

reach out for your hand.©

Lots of good vibes:):):)

Birthdays and Poetry - am I game enough

Its a lovely Saturday morning, a little cloudy but cool and I love the cooler weather.  There is definitely an autumnal air which affects the quality of the light - great for musing and photos.

Its birthday time - lots of friends and family are having birthdays in early March - happy times, although some are a little sad at the increasing wrinkle factor - me I am happy to be turning 57 on Monday.  Once you have had the big C in your life and been through the chemo etc process, ageing means something a little different - well  to me anyway:)

Over the last few days I have been immersing myself back in the English Literatures and writing etc and it came to my attention that I had not actually been brave enough to post any of my poetry on my blog.  Well here goes, today I will post the first poem, titled Music....

The song plays

Notes ripple nimbly

Along the harp strings

I feel the sound ripple

Tripping surely over

My heart strings

I feel such warmth

Gently coursing through

My soul’s life-blood

At last I’m heading home

I know where I belong

My heritage has claimed me through its song

My heart-soul search for belonging

Is almost at an end

As the chords of the song reached out and held my hand.©

I also discovered that Overland has a blog and some great posts:  the link is below if you are interested - check it out.

http://web.overland.org.au/2011/03/so-you-think-you-can-write-poetry-noetry-and-constructive-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-10987

Women's Issues - Feminism vs radicalisation of identity

I have just read the ABC Drum blog by Jennifer Wilson in which she discusses the "... recent Drum articles by Christian sexual conservative Melinda Tankard Reist..."  Wilson states that Reist bases her ideology "...on appeals to presumed universal truths and values. Melinda is in the business of creating totalising cultural narratives, rather than finding solutions to concrete issues women face."  While I am not a radical feminist I agree with Wilson, there are concrete issues that women face everyday in their lives that could do with sorting out.  Systemic cultural and other types of abuse should be addressed, but in our efforts to help each other, let's not presume to know what is best.  Instead, ask women what they want, and let's try to work together to create a safe space for women from all walks of life to air their hurts.

I took a few practice photo's before I went on holiday as I had to finally get out the camera manual and read it to try and improve my photography.  Guess what, using the manual actually sometimes does work:):)  Hope you like the photos below.

How can we not love nature and want to do all we can to protect our environment - my support goes to people like Naomi Oreskes who are trying to debunk the 'doubt merchants'.

Finally getting organised:)

Uni timetable is now settling down after I had to make subject changes to accomodate timetable changes that resulted in subject clashes, whew!  I am looking forward to this semester and undertaking two English Lit subjects.  I was talking to a friend from Canberra the other day and they told me that they had lectures on Friday at 5:30pm - I mean who does that? My thoughts go out to the students and lecturer involved:)

Well my question to you, Barry O'Farrell, is what are you going to do about the way planning and development is handled in this state?  We have reached a new low in Ministerial conduct as yet another major development is signed off without having gone through the proper processes.  I am all for freeing up some of our bureaucratic red tape, but you know, some checks and balances are critical.  I dont think the Libs should just assume that voters will vote them in (I know - we are all expecting a massive swing here) but there are independent and 'green' candidates too!

Can anyone tell me what role the mosquito plays in the food chain?  I went outside mid afternoon yesterday to do a little weeding and get away from the computer, and 10 mins later (I kid you not) I was covered in nasty itchy lumps.... not feeling very generous to them this morning!

My problems are small (although it is all relative) in comparison to those in Libya at the moment.  I do hope that something can be done soon by the international community to help the people caught up in this awful situation. 

Wish we could all fly free - like the birds here:):):) 

Have a good one!

Climate Change Debate

Isnt it great to see the climate change debate at least in the media headlines again - even though we need to really start actualising policies to ensure a sustainable future.

We attended a meeting last night held by John Hatton a former NSW independent who is standing for election again in the Upper House.  His platform is corruption and he would like to see an Enquiry into the Development and Approvals and associated processes to get to the bottom of some of the really bad practices that have apparently been taking place.  The interesting thing that John kept stressing was our defamation laws!

I also saw an intresting interview yesterday on the NZ Climate Show with Naomi Oreskes about her book The Merchants of Doubt.  If you have about 20 mins its worth having a look at and the link is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2fntae4OYI

Short and sweet I hope today as I am off to an early lecture - all good fun its and English Lit subject and I love books:):):)  have a good one

Tuesday 1 March

Why use today's date as a post title.  Well for me it officially marks the autumnal light that casts its glow over our little piece of paradise and also that the days are starting to shorten.  Daylight savings is not due to finish just yet, but regardless, daylight hours dictate their own curve. 

As I sit and write the blog today, my desk is littered with papers that I have printed off for uni, which of course I will diligently read - plus the Country Style magazine.  Why the magazine, well the magazine is holding an inaugural writing comp which I may enter....lol...  so for all you other writers out there - have a look:):)

To more serious things, I am intrigued and somewhat 'over' the debtates between political parties on whether we should have a carbon tax, or a cap and trade scheme, whether it should be market based or be fixed priced...the interviews this morning on the ABC concentrated on what Julia Gillard said before the election...helloo, there has been a lot of water under that bridge and its time to move together to really tackle policies for a more sustainable future.  Australia can lead the way so the slogan goes, but guess what, Europe and even China are already there!  Yet again petty Federal politics will hold us back.  And for voters in NSW, well our future seems to be cast for us with the financial settlement of the now infamous electricity sell out by the Kenneally government.  Wonder who will write Christina Kenneally's autobiography?

Enough now, this time last week we were enjoying the stunning area in Tasmania's southern most tip and I have put a few of the Tassie photo's taken from our walks in the Cockle Creek area below - just to show how lovely it really is:):):)