As a child I never ate Kellogs Rice Bubbles as a breakfast cereal, but I do recall the catch cry -Snap, Crackle, Pop! Sometimes writing ideas come to us in snap, crackle, pop fashion. They arrive with such velocity we are left slightly unsettled.  Sometimes writing ideas attach themselves like iron filings to a magnet and we just have to respond. As I was driving past Fisherman's Beach (at the end of my street) on a grey spring morning earlier this week, I spied out on the bay, a single, blue hulled boat, slicing its way towards the boat ramp. The surface of the water was as smooth as freshly ironed sheets, so the boat's wake cut a clear line through the water's dark surface -providing a brief, yet memorable sighting.  In that fleeting scene I held the map I needed for my writing idea.  Snap, crackle, pop!  As I sat enjoying a coffee at a local cafe a few minutes later, that earlier scene refused to leave me. I willingly surrendered to it and scribbled the first draf...

I frequently find myself pondering my day, my life, my current situation. Sometimes, I enjoy a little random pondering. The gentle art of consideration of things mystifying and miraculous.  Some of those ponderings never escape the outer limits of my mind, while others graduate to the pages of one of my notebooks, or find themselves articulated to family and friends. Their reception is varied as well. I think it's good to ponder. I urge everyone to pander to some pondering. It's entertaining, it can be creative and fun.  Sometimes those ponderings find their way into a poem... Random Sightings Of Me I sometimes wonder If I have been captured in the background Of someone else’s photograph -Purely by chance, mind you Not a photo bomber act Simply an innocent inclusion Am I there Along with a tree A passing sparrow  Or a rubbish bin surrounded by seagulls? There I am Unknown Unnamed undiscovered and frozen in someone elses moment I wonder if while walking my dog I have been...

It is often said -ideas exist in things, and so we have around us an almost infinite range of possibilities for writing. Emily Dickinson wrote of possibility when she stated, -'I dwell in possibility- a fairer house than prose.' For a poet, anything and everything is potentially treasure. Something that might seem unworthy of attention can be re-imagined by a poet's careful use of words. Chilean poet,  Pablo Neruda, urged us to notice the small, the inconsequential things in our world. He demonstrated his awareness of such things in his anthology,  'Odes to Common Things.' When we begin to pay attention to the small and inconsequential, we unleash the potential for creating something that might be seen as quite grand. Noticing things in our everyday world, improves with practice and close observation. This action, coupled with careful word choice, raises something  initially thought of as ordinary, to a position of reconsidered value. With all these thoughts swirlin...

How do you inspire young poets?  Poetry Podcast No.2. This is the second instalment of a recent discussion I shared with Corinne Kaplan, an educator with a passion for literacy. We had the opportunity to sit and discuss what inspires young poets. It formed part of the  Arts Learning Festival conducted by the Independent Schools of Victoria. In this episode, we discuss how you encourage young poets to find inspiration. Think small: their own treasures and the objects, the things around them. And what if they can’t find the right word? Well, it’s perfectly okay to make one up… If you are willing to stay with us until the end, I will share two of my poems from the recently published anthology, ' What the Poemster Found '. Arts Learning Festival · Poetry Podcast Part 2 The Words That Come At Night Sometimes The words of unwritten poems Slide into bed next to me They nestle on my pillow And whis...

It's World Poetry Day, on 21 March. This day recognises the unique ability of poetry to capture the very essence of humanity.  In every culture there are poets who feed the soul of their nation and present as advocates for the arts.  For those of you not yet completely comfortable teaching poetry, or for those looking to freshen up their current poetry resources, Here are some possibilities to explore.  Poetry Ideas Across the Curriculum • Invite students to organize a collection of poems relating to their own culture. You could organize them around such categories as celebrations, families, food, holidays. • Collect photo essays, newspaper and magazine articles, informational books, and historical fiction and invite students to use them as source material for poetry • Make weather poems using weather reports as the basis for ideas. • Encourage students to tell their own stories/experiences in poetic form • Use a science activity to launch a poetr...

I t's an enduring question for young writers -where do you get your ideas? they ask.  Often believing there is something mystical to this aspect of the writing process. It's a secret they want you to share... The truth is, ideas are everywhere.  Always an interesting conversation to have with young writers where we discuss where ideas are to be found. The broad horizons of choice that actually exist quickly become apparent. It challenges the somewhat narrow concept of 'ideas.'  The challenge for all of us who choose to write is to grow as explorers of the world. We must aim is to develop a broader view of the extensive possibilities at our disposal. That way we can eradicate that tired  old catch-cry- I can’t think of anything to write about...’  As a teacher/writer I aim to share the broad influences on my own writing. It is important to dispel the myth that writing only equates to stories. What are the territories you explore to exca...

'Sometimes the easiest way to start is not to try to ‘think something up but to write something down – and what better place to begin than with what is right in front of your eyes?'      Andy Griffiths, 'Once Upon A Slime.' With these excellent words ringing in my ears, I did just that. I sat down at the table with my notebook and wrote this poem to celebrate it's existence. So in a way the table was both the subject of my poem and a facilitator.  So my advice is sit still and take a look around you. There are so many potential ideas waiting to be discovered. They are hiding in the open! The Kitchen Table This table listens to our secret conversations Revealing nothing It watches babies grow Eavesdrops on discussions -Marvellous -Mundane Heartbreaking and ridiculous This table witnesses the emergence of wisdom Through the years Through interminable time to and fro across its ever flat surface Words weave and wander -Sting -Delight Co...