Rallentanda

Rallentanda

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Merry's Stories on a Sunday Afternoon

searching for a memory
of normalcy
of simplicity
of kindness
your smiling face
came to mind
lifted the clouds
closing in
on this awful day

what a joy it was
as we washed dishes
and worked about the house
singing your favourite adele songs
listening to your stories





of how he took the children
every afternoon to the beach
to give you some time
to yourself after work

of how your mother cried
when she saw where you lived
all crammed like sardines
into that little place


of how he saved your life
when you were seriously ill
by selling everything he had
to pay for your operation
sleeping on the floor by your hospital bed
day and night caring for you

of how kind  friends looked after your children
of how the landlord did not charge you rent
when you were sick
of how your co - workers brought you money and food
of how your lovely kids work so hard at school and
appreciate everything you do for them




















 


your stories helped me through this heart break
these stories are rare in the lucky country
more's the pity








Poems to weather uncertain times
Mid Week Motif - Poets United










Tuesday, June 25, 2019

A Walk in the Park




her life
was never a walk in the park

when the sky
caved in on her
she sat down and wrote
3,633 poems

those life rafts of words
in turbulent storms
vivid and life giving
like the rainbow
countered
the heavy parcels of darkness
which seek her out occasionally

like all things weighed down
with venom and limitations
hard wired to extinguish sparkles of any kind
they float out to sea and sink eventually




YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS



it is likely
there are a few thousand more poems
left in her





one day she must make the time
to read them
and not be too disappointed to discover
they are not all masterpieces


  Mid Week Motif - Poets United
Friday Writings...Poets and Story Tellers United  July 2025











 

Saturday, June 22, 2019

SUNDAY'S WHIRLIGIG # 219

 

 mountain air makes you sleepy

holding a cup of tea makes you hungry

for scones made from wholemeal flour

 

 


 

 

sugar can make you

wakeful anxious and restless

drives you out of your tree

 

 

 

 

wakeful tree sugar restless hungry mountain air sleepy anxious cup hold flour

THIS WEEK'S WORDS come from "My Weather" by Jane Hirshfield:

 

 

The Sunday Muse # 61



miss sue real
had painted herself
into a corner

she had forgotten
she could not swim

diving head long
into the ocean
was going to be a problem
for those
who had not tried
walking on water first

this time
the devil was
in the deep blue sea

Friday, June 14, 2019

Stevie Wonder - Don't you worry bout a thing For the Weekend




SEVENLING

 WEDNESDAY MUSE # 12


friday nights are always magic
the lights seem brighter - still a buzz about
flowers and wine in the shopping bag

key clicks in the door - it's good to be  home
feet up  - fish and chips -watch a movie -
nod off and never see the ending

weekends have become more precious and shorter with time




Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Carpe Diem # 1676 Troiku

the aroma of pine
and the young morning's fresh rain
reach my words

Managua




the aroma of pine
wafts through the sheets
hanging on the line

and the young morning's fresh rain
makes me want to stay in bed
i'll lie in today

reach my words
bring me my bow of burning gold
just joking pen and paper will do




 

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Self Portrait as a Bridesmaid 1998 - Kerrie Lester


never reaching the pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow
winning the Archibald
the bridge to success
never happened for kerrie
always the bridesmaid
never the bride

Kerrie Lester Artist (1953 - 2016)  was regularly a finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize . Her painting Bridesmaid which won the runner up expresses her frustration at never winning. The runner up is chosen by the packers...(the staff who pack and unpack the paintings) In my opinion, in many cases, they are often better than the winners chosen by the judges. The disparity in the prize money shows  contempt for the work which is frequently superior by any criteria to the winning entry.
Being nominated, it seems, by non credentialed packers makes the work less worthy of receiving appropriate and reasonable prize money No runner up has ever gone on to win the Archibald.




Packers working at NSW Art Gallery




a cat can look at a king
a cat may look better than a king
a cat can be smarter than a king

Archibald Prize Winner 2019 - $100,000






Packers Prize 2019 - $1,500







Mid Week Motif - Poets United

Sunday Muse # 59



it would have been so easy
to keep her alive
a few drops
so little

i often wondered
if it was just self centredness
narcissim thoughtlessness insensitivity
or a power trip to make her beg
an act of deliberate hatred

there was a time
not so long ago
when the last option
could never have been addressed
or accepted as a possibility

now  on reflection
it probably is the most likely
there is a lot to be said
for a life spent
head in the clouds
dodging the brutal truth

reality is a ruthless task master
not for the faint hearted
best saved for the pointy end of life








Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Wednesday Muse # 11



ducking hunting
smart ducks have all the moves
justice for a change





a life
can be like a movie
background music helps






























priorities
buddy is cute and needs a home
alan has his moments
and can provide one






remind me
to never answer the door
again

























Sunday, June 2, 2019

Sunday Muse # 58




iv'e seen that look before
it's an expiry date look
you've served your purpose look
destination hotel knackery
they shoot horses don't they?

don't feel too bad horsey
humans are treated the same
except
the execution  chamber is pink veneer'd
with smiling carers
sometimes called a nursing home


Almost 4,000 assaults reported in Australian nursing homes last year, inquiry told