Poetry In Cotton Tree- Vacation Verse

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 concerned quite diverse matters. Some were locally inspired, while others appeared from my reading and conversations, or they merely arrived without prior notice. It didn't matter. This was vacation verse and I was more than happy to welcome its arrival. I was a poet in paradise...

Coast People
They rise and shine quite early
On the Sunshine coast
And their deeds are settled early
-Earlier than most

Afternoons are quiet
The streets and shops vacated
They retreat to shade and shelter
And can't be extricated.

Binned
Goodbye price tag label
So long bruised banana skin
Cheerio scrunched bus ticket of a single journey
Farewell crumpled lolly wrapper
Au revoir pickle jar.

A Pen For My Thoughts
My black gel pen glides
across the open white page
of my word hungry notebook
Words spread out on paper
Words sharply contrasting
This white, lined backdrop
Like a housefly
landing in a bowl of rice
Words on white paper
Ready to stir
A reader's thought
Gently
Like a spoon in a teacup.

Scuppered While Having A Cuppa
He sensed
Their relationship
Was cursed
When he saw her
Put milk in the teacup first
A major faux pas
Revealing that she
Was clearly not
His cup of tea

Man With A Plan On The Headland
Con Tessa
Stood on the headland
Overlooking the beach
The sea had a welcoming look
He kicked off his Birkenstocks
And began trudging
Over the sandy dunes
He was the barefoot Con Tessa

My Worlds Are Not The Same
All the worlds I live in
All the worlds I see
Won't fit into one mouthful
When words spill out of me
Sometimes they're words of fire
They emerge in spark and flame
Sometimes they're gentle whispers
My worlds are not the same.

The artistry of the wind.

Life Cycle -A football poem by Bruce Dawe

This poem by Australian poet Bruce Dawe epitomises the unique connection sporting tragics have to their preferred football teams, -an almost tribal allegiance. Each season supporters stare down the twin imposters- victory and defeat. They remain both loyal and hopeful of eventual triumph. This poem refers specifically to Australian Rules Football, but it's themes are universal. I share this poem on the eve of the 2017 Grand Final to decide the Premiership for this football season. My team, the Richmond Tigers have reached the play off to decide the ultimate victor. They have not contested the Grand Final match for 35 years. My hopes fly with them. This poem links two of my great loves -football and poetry... Life Cycle When children are born in Victoria they are wrapped in club-colours, laid in beribboned cots, having already begun a lifetime’s barracking. Carn, they cry, Carn … feebly at first while parents playfully tussle with them for possession of a rusk: Ah, he

Poetry Friday: The Safety Pin Poem

Poets not only write poetry, they also read poetry. In order to be able to write poetry, one must read it. Lots of poetry in fact... I want to share a short little poem by Valerie Worth. I bought Valerie's book, 'All The Small Poems And Fourteen More,' while living and working in New York, some time back. It remains a personal favourite. I love the way the poet shines a special light on everyday objects, transforming them into something unique and worthy of attention. Her close observations elevate her poems into the special category. Each poem in the collection celebrates earthly wonders. From eggs to garbage, from potatoes to pockets, each object is given special attention in the form of short poems employing keen observations. Valerie Worth demonstrates through her poems she totally understands the saying-'ideas exist in things.' The poem I have chosen to share with you (one of my personal favourites) is titled, 'Safety Pin'. S af

Opposite Poems

O pp o s ite P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,' Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not e

KatApel - katswhiskers.wordpress.com14 December 2018 at 18:24
Lovely holiday snippets, Al - though I had to laugh at the scuppered cuppa. He's obviously no milk&water fellow!
Alan j Wright14 December 2018 at 20:39
Kat, I love your retort. Glad you liked the snippets.
Linda B15 December 2018 at 02:15
Love your 'vacation verse', Alan, a reminder when I go to the sea, the "words on white paper" do stir. Each one's a capture of your mind those days. Happy you had your triip!
author amok15 December 2018 at 12:03
I had a lot of fun reading "Binned," Alan. What a fun idea for a list poem! Thanks for joining us for Poetry Friday this week. It looks divine where you are -- I'm envious that your "fog of work" has lifted.
Alan j Wright15 December 2018 at 15:29
Thanks Laura. 'Binned' was one of those poems that owes it existence to a mundane action of placing a bus ticket in a bin and suddenly realizing the maxim- 'ideas exist in things' rang true here, and I could use it. May the fog of work eventually clear for you too.
Molly Hogan17 December 2018 at 11:35
What a stunning vista! I love your assortment of vacation verse--from whimsical to profound.
Michelle Kogan17 December 2018 at 12:28
Looks like your vacation spot served or is serving as a fine muse for writing Alan. Wonderful collection you have, I particularly like two here, "A Pen For My Thoughts," –here I love that fly "landing in a bowl of rice," and I can hear that spoon turning in your teacup. I also like your last poem, "My Worlds Are Not The Same." Nice parallel and breath of an individuals thoughts–I tend to fall into this camp too. Lovely images also, thanks for sharing all!

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