Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Spring Colour

    




SPRING COLOUR

Florist's blooms abundantly
Give examples of variety.
The local nursery overflows
With tones of yellow, pink and rose.
You want blue? OK it's here
In boxes and tables blues appear.
You want yellow? The trellis is gold;
Nice and sturdy, straight and bold.
You want red? Just see it glow
In the flowers, row on row.
The world would be a whole lot duller
Without these blossomings of colour.
*
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THE FLAME

The spurt of flaring energy;
The broad flame shining in dark corners;
The sputtering and the dark.
*


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

No Escape!


IMAGINARY GARDEN
http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com.au/
The theme is Halloween; I chose Witches

NO ESCAPE!

How terrible to be a witch
In the days of the ducking stool!
Say something out-of-line
And a swift death was the rule.
When one was strapped in the ducking-stool
It was only a matter of time
Before one died a dreadful  death,
Whatever was the crime.
The stool was held out over water
And the witch was dunked right in.
If she died that was certain proof
That she'd committed a sin.
But, if she lived, it was equal proof
That witchcraft had saved the day,
So the 'witch' was taken and burnt at the stake
In a truly horrible way!
'The good old days' ? I think not.
Nowadays were much more free
And you can cast your witchy spells
With equanimity.
*
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                                          Newcastle; NSW

BULGING WITH BLUES

Sailing into my home port after a week on the ocean,
I felt an unexpected joy that was sentimental emotion.
Newcastle isn't fashionable, it's full of industry,
And it's really quite peculiar that it means so much to me.
Growing-up in English prettiness, then living in London Town,
With a stint in glorious Cape Town, truly South Africa's crown,
A middle-sized city Down Under, designed for hard work and trade,
Surely can't compete with Sydney, which wins every accolade!
But sailing into the harbour, I rejoiced in the pleasant views,
And, most of all, in the blues and blues and blues and blues and blues.
*
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PS

Nearly all my pee-esses seem to involve food! Yesterday a group of us met to celebrate The Fifth Monday. I have instigated this, being President of the Probus. We normally do things on Mondays, but a few times a year there's a left-over Monday, a fifth one in the month, so I thought we could meet for lunch that day. We went to The Burwood Inn on this occasion and we enjoyed the fod and the company.


Stormy

Image: Satellite image of Hurricane Sandy at 2:30 p.m. E.T. on Monday.
Sandy

THEME THURSDAY
http://www.theme-thursday.com/

STORMY

Every so often they come along.....

Wild and raging storms,
With rain and wind! It's Natures wrath
In all its many forms.
We think we're so important
And yet we have to quail
As roofs are blown off buildings
And cars are wrecked by hail.
At the moment New York's suffering
And the city's in our thoughts.

This will be a mighty storm
According to reports.
Soon it will be over
Skies will clear again,
Rubble will be cleared away
And all signs of rain,
But for a while well remember
That we are far from strong.
And then we will forget it
Until another storm comes along.
*
------------------------------

EXOTIC?

To those of you in milder climes
These flowers are not exotic,
And labelling them as something rare
Is really idiotic.
But where I live in New South Wales, 
Down beside the sea,
Pretty little Springtime flowers
We very rarely see.
We have our jacaranda
And our wattle's golden bright
And the curtains of wisteria 
Are a truly lovely sight.
But cowslips, bluebells and the like
Are something rich and rare
And so we travel to the Highlands*
To see them growing there.
*
* The Highlands of New South Wales!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

A Small Pleasure


Early morning 

MY WORLD

A SMALL PLEASURE

Just view from out my window;
Just a small suburban plot.
And an owner of a green thumb
I most certainly am not.
But I love my little garden
With its comfortable seats
Even if I never manage
Any horticultural feats.
Now it's spring, the plants are sprouting
Without any help from me;
Most are grown from others' flowerings,
(Little acts of larceny.)
You may dream of rolling acres,
Lawns that spread from here to there,
Giant trees that wave their branches
High into the friendly air.
 But my garden is so handy.....
Simply step outside the door
With a steaming cup of coffee!
No-one could ask for more.
*
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                                           Gerald Gee

THE GREAT LOTTERY


Variegated size and tint;
Similarities? A hint.
The DNA wheel spins around;
In for a penny, in for a pound!
What we land on goodness knows!
Granny's ears or Uncle's nose.
Auntie Annie's double chin
And her liking for pink gin.
A distant cousin's high-pitched laugh;
Her neck resembling a giraffe.
Sometimes, maybe, we inherit
A little something with some merit:
A  rosebud mouth like Auntie Ann's
Or a head of hair like Uncle Dan's.
The scientists head in the direction
Of creating babies of perfection.
They'll tweak the egg or tweak the sperm
( The thought of it just makes me squirm)
And out will pop this perfect creature,
Glorious in every feature.
How boring! How devoid of charm!
I view the future with alarm!
View the row of folk above
To see what I am speaking of.
Not one of them is without a flaw!
They drew wrong numbers in life's draw.
But when I see people such as these
I long to give them all a SQUEEEEEEZE!
*
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PS
We have just given a presentation of 'Cindy Eller' at a Maitland church. We were treated right royally with a tasty morning tea and a handsome gift and we all enjoyed ourselves. We had to make one or two alterations at the last minute as our pianist is unwell and our 'Prince' had sudden family problems. Such is the way of the world with our group! But Yvonne, fresh from a knee replacement (!) and Betty (who had to drag herself away from the arms of a lover!!!!!) filled in beautifully and I managed to be a Fairy Queen who also acted as Reader, so we got there!It all adds to life's rich tapestry!Afterwards we had a light lunch at one of our favourite restaurants at the Heritage Gardens.

The Chorus Line!


Wonderful facial expressions all round.

A rather elderly Fairy Queen!


Not a good shot but a delightful pose.

This is what True Love looks like . (One always tends to catch flies when this happens.)


This is my favourite shot.


And here is poor Yvonne, lurking in the background working the music. 
Note the Fairy Tale stage decorations arranged especially for us.



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Upgrade


SUNDAY SCRIBBLINGS
asks us to consider an upgrade

UPGRADE
(An Acrostic)

Unhappy with your present standing?
Perhaps you need some brand new branding.
Get new clothes in a smart new style.
Renew your persona, flash a smile.
Act as the person you wish you were.
Do the things you really prefer.
Even YOU need to improve!
Upgrade out of that sad old groove.
*
-------------------------------------------------
My Corner of Australia

UPHEAVAL

Upheaval.
The leaving of one country for another.
The year 1974.
*
We were leaving South Africa.
Our destination New Zealand.
There we would find
Prettiness, 
Relations,
And an English atmosphere.
*
Consider our situation......
A sick mother in tow,
Plus two young children. 
Crates packed,
Car organised.
Bridges burnt.
*
A letter!
An Oil Crisis in the Middle East!
A shortage of fuel!
The ship could go no further than Australia!
What to do?
*
Australia did not appeal....
Beaches,
 Cities, 
Deserts.......
Not for us.
*
We wanted New Zealand.
*
But we took the plunge regardless.
After  all, we'd burnt our bridges.
*
We stayed in Australia.
We could not be happier.
*
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PS
Yesterday our Probus Club celebrated its Friendship Day. I don't know how it originated but it's been a tradition ever since I joined the Club. Normally we have a varied program but this year my Merry Mellows were asked to perform an old play called 'Tiddly Pom'. It's months since I wrote it but it all came back to us and we all had great fun performing it. Afterwards we had a catered lunch.


Here you see me as the prim English woman being accosted by a rough diamond Australian man on board ship. I end up marrying him! (Her!)




Sunday, October 21, 2012

Fashion Statement


MAD KANE

gave us the (slightly altered) first line

FASHION STATEMENT

A woman would frequently pose
In very undignified clothes
On her feet she wore spats,
On her head she wore hats
And the parts in between simply froze.
*
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WHITE ON THE GREEN

I was on a shopping mission
When I espied this exhibition;
On the 'village green' in snowy white
A novel and refreshing sight.
Tae Kwon Do looks quite appealing;
Battles without a warlike feeling.
Self-defence is very sensible,
Though violence is reprehensible.

*

Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Waterfront


THE WATERFRONT

Our waterfront pays homage, slightly
To historic days of yore.
These modern buildings boast a likeness
To buildings that were there before.
Maybe the paint, like sugared-almonds,
Was not in vogue in days gone by,
But see how pleasantly the colours
Are enhanced by the bright blue sky!
Only the lookout tower looks modern,
With its head up in the air
But the waterfront is spacious......
There is lots of room to share.

Modern life and other centuries
Jostle for space here by the sea,
Which goes to show we get it right
When we doff a cap to history.
*
--------------------------------------- 


THRILLING!

A thrill has an element of danger.
A thrill has an element of strife.
It's something outside the ordinary realm
Of the everyday ho-hum life.
It is something which passes in a moment,
Unlike joy or pleasure;
It is something which positively shouts 'Excess!'
Because it is hard to measure.
Like a flash of lightning running through one,
Or a  stab of overwhelming terror,
It involves every fibre of ones body
And it screams 'No room for error!'
Base jumpers feel it as they're standing
On the edge of a towering cliff,
As they edge towards their take-off
And their minds whisper 'What if?'
Young girls feel it on blind dates,
That mixture of excitement and dread.;
Young men feel it in their vehicles
When the highway stretches ahead. 
Death is always lurking when life's thrilling,
One's involved in something that can kill.
Me, I like my pleasures less exciting;
Give me ho-hum rather than thrill.
*

Monday, October 15, 2012

That Song!

The Wordle    


SUNDAY WHIRL
asks us to use all the words in the Wordle

THAT SONG!

How many years have passed, my love, since you and I were young?
You came back into my mind, my love, when a certain song was sung.
'A fella with an umbrella' those were the words I heard
And, suddenly, I was young again, even though that sounds absurd.
By now you've become an old lady, and maybe your memory fails,
But I hope you, too, have a mental picture that never ever pales.
*
I remember a day of thunder......it seemed it would never stop.....
And my Auntie Anne, your Mother, said 'Just run to the shop.'
We started making excuses.....'The light has nearly gone!'
'The puddles are getting deeper!....on and on and on.
In the end we were persuaded to brave the stormy sky,
And so we set off, laughing, the umbrella held up high.
*
The shop was really very near, just half-way down the lane,
We got there without much trouble, but then, down came the rain.
It was a childhood adventure; we decided we would stand
Close by the wall of the church-yard, which was quite close at hand.
We stood so close we were almost joined and it suddenly came to me
That this was the very relationship which was clearly meant to be!
*
For thirteen of my fifteen years you had been around,
And yet here were brand new feelings I had suddenly found!
'I'm going to marry you, Amy.' Suddenly the words were said
And I kissed you under the umbrella!......... You flushed a rosy red.
'Don't be silly! We're cousins!' you said and ran home again
While I was left feeling foolish, all alone in the rain.
*
'Amy! You're soaked!' said your Mother; 'Tom should have kept you dry!'
You hung your head, determined that you wouldn't catch my eye.
Long ago you parted from Peter; and my marriage just didn't work out;
Never again, in my whole life, did certainty replace doubt. 
I vowed I would forget you and inherit my place in the sun,
But you were always in my mind, you were always the one.
*
And now, though memory shifts and fades, I still recall the umbrella,
And that wonderful moment in the rain when I truly was 'your fella.'
*
-------------------------------------------

A LOT OF SEA

A scene of domesticity
And yet one of enormity
Because although our town's terrific
It's perched on the edge of the great Pacific.
Little houses huddle by
The vastness of the sea and sky.
We look out on a placid scene,
Boxy houses, gardens green,
Yet if we shade our eyes and look
Beyond our cosy little nook,
We see eternity flowing by;
Eternity of sea and sky.
South America's 'over there',
Way, way off in the east, somewhere,
Over the curve of the earth, then on,
Further than many folk have gone.
Water, water everywhere
Nothing but water and thin air!
And, underneath such life is teeming!
We only see the wave-tops gleaming,
But sea-creatures are living, thriving,
Bounteous numbers coiling, diving!
What audacity for us to think
That we, who're living on the brink,
Building little fabrications,
Tiny human-sized creations,
Matter at all! We can't defy
The vastness of the sea and sky.
*