Saturday morning Surf Carnival. Maroochydore, Qld. Spent a few days on Queensland's Sunshine Coast recently. I was staying in a quiet corner of Maroochydore- a place called Cotton Tree. It is more than twenty year since I last visited this particular locale. I was pleased to note that it still moves at the same, gentle pace. So relaxing. Swimming, walking, exploring, reading, relaxing and eating all helped to set the mood. Coffee and close observation of my surroundings set me up to write... The entrance to the Maroochy River, Cotton Tree, Maroochydore, Qld. I noticed that once the fog of work cleared, the words began to flow. My notebook pages filled quickly with a swag of poetry pieces, along with other writing. Words have always gained my attention quite easily. To take possession of them and apply them with purpose has imbued me with excitement all my life. The mind clears and the words appear. My wife surveys the sea. Most of the poems were short and co...

I am continually adding to my collection of poetry titles. The books that catch my poet's eye are an eclectic collection of works. That's what is so exciting about conducting these ongoing searches through the poetry zone. Fascinating discoveries await. Writers are collectors, after all. I must continue to feed my need. You cannot be a writer unless you are a reader. Here are some treasures I recently added. I commend them to you as worthy of your consideration: Khaled Hosseini, widely read author of 'The Kite Runner' presents the hauntingly beautiful Sea Prayer, a poem across many pages. It is a poem of longing for a life lost to bombs and conflict and the need to take a perilous sea journey. The best books make us think... Jacqueline Woodson's verse novel was delight to read. It celebrates poetry and rejoices in the power of resilience as witnessed by young Lonnie Collins Motion better known as 'Locomotion' as...