Words are a poet's oxygen. They present as an  essential  presence in a poet's existence. Because poets are logophiles(lovers of words), it is therefore unsurprising that we are ever ready to receive them when they come calling. They are the most welcome   visitors. Words with smooth and gentle tones float by, some are mysterious and puzzling,  others drop in, or crash land, jagged, pithy, confronting -all are received with suitable respect. I  frequently find myself reflecting in my writing upon the constant joy derived from this sweet connection with written and spoken language. I hope this poem provides some small insight as to my personal relationship with wondrous words... What do words mean to you? The Words That Come At Night Sometimes The words of unwritten poems Slide into bed next to me They nestle on my pillow And whisper in my ear Write me down Write me down -Remember me In tomorrow’s early light Soft echoes at ...

Poems of the season shared with fun and good cheer in mind! For those who celebrate Christmas and for those who don't, I wish you all safe and happy times with your respective loved ones.  I wrote this little collection of Christmas inspired verse wearing reindeer antlers just to get into the spirit of things. HO, HO, HO! Stocking Time I awoke on Christmas morning And clambered down the stairs I saw the Christmas stockings Bulging with presents to spare I noticed my sister's stocking Looked slightly larger than mine I considered swapping them over But I didn't cross over that line. Angel on The Tree I saw her smiling down at me The angel on our Christmas Tree She sits aloft with festive lights I'm glad it's her, I'm scared of heights The Christmas Catastrophe Our cat went mad the other night And attacked our Christmas tree All the bells and baubles Were shattered in the spree And now she sits in contemplation Amid the scattere...

This poem was prompted by a photograph I unearthed recently. The visit to one of Frank Sinatra's favoured haunts from his Hoboken, New Jersey days, is deeply etched in my memory. I recall two visits during the six amazing years based in New York. For me, as for the late Jim Croce, photographs and memories are forever linked. They are often the essential pairing for new words. I look. I think for quite some time and then I wait for my pen to lead me like a flashlight towards new discoveries. Such is the magic of poetry... Meeting Frank In A Cafe Seated in a Brooklyn cafe At a table cloaked in checks of red and white squares. Where tall, silent waiters wearing ties stood by waiting to catch our orders. And pictures of Frank Sinatra splashed black and white memories across the walls. Each frame, trapped a moment. Each image, a slice of a larger life. We ordered pizzas.  -Mozzarella and a sprinkle of basil, As Frank hung about watching everyone eat, talk ...

It is always gives me great delight to share new poetry books. A few days ago I added another one to my ever expanding collection.  This one has particular significance as it concerns my all time favourite Michael Rosen poem, 'Chocolate Cake.' The poem is presented in Rosen's preferred narrative verse style. I have lost count of the times I have shared this poem with young poets. I never tire of reading it. When asked about my favourite poem, I never hesitate to respond to eager, young poets, 'That's easy -Chocolate Cake.' The poem first appeared in Michael Rosen's anthology, ' Quick Let's Get Out Of Here.' published in 1983. This famous poem has now been re-imagined as a picture book. The poem is full of mischief, forbidden fun and lots of chocolate filled moments. Kids love it; making requests for multiple readings. What better recommendation can a poem receive? Some modifications have been made to the original poem -additional wor...

  They say it is the line and where it is broken that provides the rhythm of a poem.  The longer the line, the more the poem sounds like natural speech.  Poets break lines for different reasons. Here are some: according to their natural breathing to emphasize a particular or words to create tension to change the pace of the poem The original version of this poem had longer lines and fewer line breaks. I was not completely happy with the outcome. It sounded a bit slow and pedestrian. The theme of my poem is not relaxed along with the focus of the writing, Leon. This made for a mismatch. In revising the poem, I needed to build more tension and increase the pace for the reader. So, you will notice my poem has quite short lines throughout the entire poem. I did this to create a greater sense of urgency around Leon's story. The poem is loosely based on a childhood memory of a kid I used to know. All our writing is informed by our lives, if we are open to these i...

Dear Visitor, I invite you to visit Australian Children's Poetry where my poem, ' Compound Interest ' has been selected as poem of the day. Hope you enjoy reading it. Click on the link: https://australianchildrenspoetry.com.au/category/poem-of-the-day/

Poetry is an ever inclusive part of my summer writes. It calls out to me to be included. In those lazy, hazy days, I shall seek it out in every corner ...   In truth, it's with me all year round, wherever I am. So, where is it hiding? Where is it to be found? Let’s investigate… Where Does My Poetry Hide? Where does my poetry hide? It snuggles in snatches of conversations   floating down the street It rocks about in my collected treasures Junky and jumbled I look for it in lettuce, limes and lemons  In asparagus, apples, even anchovies It might be sealed a packet of peppermints A jar of peanut butter Escaping  with aromatic intensity Poetry washes up on the shoreline  in clusters of seashells Glittering sea glass Seaweed and wet sand I seek it out in a song’s refrain And voices in a playground I find it nestling in my favourite books It emerges in isolated words and fabulous fragments Angry and otherwise It swirls ...

This poem is seasonally out of place. However, in its defence, it began during the recently completed football season in Australia. A time when football was very much in my thinking zone. I watched my football team win the coveted AFL Premiership after a drought of 37 long, and often painful years.  Today the AFL Draft for 2017 will be conducted. A day when young footballers Australia wide wait to see if they will have their dreams realized and get to play in the national competition. So, the football connection is restored somewhat... The words of the poem have taken time to reshape and fit into place. There have been numerous revisions.  It is a poem that owes its origins to a time and a place strongly linked to my childhood. I grew up in close proximity to the local football ground. Across the road, through the school-ground and I was there. It was a setting central to my childhood.  Do you have strong memories that connect places and events in your life? Maybe...

Poetry is an extremely flexible writing form. It is easily weaved into our writing programs across the year as opposed to just being pigeon holed into a specific unit of work. Poetry offers a unique response to literature -fiction or non fiction. Such is the flexible nature of poetry.  From an early age children have much exposure to a significant amount of rhyming verse.  That our classrooms are filled with poetry that is enjoyable to listen to, or fun to read is important, but it may not necessarily provide the best starting point for inexperienced poetry writers. When used skilfully rhyme can add to the lyrical nature of poetry. When it is used out a sense of expectation, it frequently serves to detract from the poem's intention. It weakens the words overall. If you listen closely you can hear the words clunking into place. They just sound like they don't belong. Don't get me wrong. I am not anti-rhyme. In fact, I have to guard against over using it. It is a nat...

I have been wandering into bookshops in search of poetry for most of my adult life. As an educator, I acquire poetry books to better position myself to teach poetry. As a poet, I need poetry books to deepen my understanding of how poetry works. I am constantly searching for poetry’s vital spark. I am committed to this quest. Poetry is my writing oxygen. But sadly in so many of my poetry searches I have come away empty handed and somewhat disillusioned. In the vast majority of bookshops   you will not find a designated section for children’s poetry. When poetry titles are offered, they are more than likely classic rhyming verse and frequently sitting among the general collection of picture books.  Little wonder kids only think of poetry as something that rhymes. They develop a narrow interpretation of poetry because that is what they are being fed.  Rarely do you find contemporary content. The landscape is barren and degraded. A smattering of impo...

Tetractys Recently, fellow poet Kat Appel alerted me to the existence of Tetractys poems. I was intrigued. I like to explore poetry in many forms, so this presented as an exciting poetic prospect. I went in search of deeper knowledge... Tetractys, is a poetic form invented by Ray Stebbing.  It consists of at least 5 lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, 10 syllables (total of 20). They can be written with more than one verse, but must follow suit with an inverted syllable count. Tetractys can also be reversed and written 10, 4, 3, 2, 1. This makes the Tetractys a most versatile form of poetry. Double Tetractys: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 10, 4, 3, 2, 1 Triple Tetractys: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 10, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 10 and on it goes... Euclid, the mathematician of classical times, considered the number series 1, 2, 3, 4 to have mystical significance because its sum is 10, so he dignified it with a name of its own - Tetractys. The challenge  of a Tetractys is to express a complete thought...