Poetry
report for March 16th 2014. Our tenth anniversary of Poetry in
Paradise.
Sunday saw
eighteen poets sharing the achievement of our ten years of recitals. Everyone
received a lolly or two, a certificate of support and gratitude and a special
Tenth Year Name Tag. The lollies and Certificates were well received but
general consensus was to keep the current name tags and file the new ones. The
optional theme was Farm Life and the Optional first line was “I never should
have…….”
Several
apologies for not being able to make it were read out on the day, including
“The Banjo”, Vincent, Kathy, Jean, Sandra, Lisbey, Paul M, and Marta &
David. We had a new poet recite that has been before but had not recited a
poem, another Sandra!! (3 now). Judy J, also attended for the first time and
recited on her first visit, well done ladies and welcome to our group. Alan
thanked everyone that attended the Earle Haven recital and said that he
received very favourable reports from the locals and they all loved the
afternoon and want us back another day.
Bob started the day with his farm life
themed poem on the subject of a discussion over a few coldies at the local and
the ‘Bushies’ telling what the city people are missing out in life, a great
poem full of Aussie sentiment and true blue character. He then told all about
the things he should never have done like sky diving, Captaining a Rugby League
team, snow skiing, water skiing, motorcycle racing, occasional drinking bouts
and so many other things, but he fondly concluded if he didn’t do all that he
wouldn’t be the Man that he was, standing at the podium spouting what a great ride
it has been and how he wouldn’t change a minute!! Bob closed the day as is
customary with his third poem, it was a funny poem about six naked ladies at
the Nursing Home and he got everyone up and laughing!!
Joan recited her poem titled “An Outback Cattle Station”, a
wonderfully descriptive piece about her life in the NT, her highs and lows and
the wonder and beauty of nature in the outback. Her second poem was on the
theme ‘I never should have’ as she told of riding a horse at 15 years of age
and not wanting to fall off so she hung on for her life, in doing so she
injured her spine and had to be flown to Sydney, but in Joan’s usual positive
fashion she found something good in the experience and it set her life a on a
new and exciting course at the time. Her third poem was about ‘dancing’ horses
and watching her sons grow up riding and becoming men that she is very proud of
and loves so dearly.
Judi shared her thoughts on the theme
also with questioning why we as humans spend so much time dwelling on regrets
and what may have been when we should focus on what is and what is still
possible, look for the good and enjoy every moment for life is far too short. Her
second poem is one that she has penned for a recital to be read by a ‘survivor’
at the Rally for Life in the park at “The Spit”, a wonderful invitation for
Judi to be the vents MC . The poem was about the commonality in the lives’ of
survivors of cancer and the loved ones around them and in their lives, a very
nice well written poem.
Trish recited a very powerful poem written
directly from her heart, filled with emotion and full of the all the things
that make our lives great and how the heart does indeed go on, brought the
house to tears and was a ‘hard act ‘ to follow. Trish recited her second poem
and it was on a past them titled “Tentacles”, a very insightful poem about how
much, with the invasion and intrusion of modern technology, we have become so
desensitised to the suffering and plight of others, when did this happen and
what can be done to reverse this awful sad trend??
Eoin recited his poem to the tune of
Advance Australia Fair and it was a great political satire of monumental
proportions based on the “Farm Life” topic with the residents of Parliament
House in the ACT being the cattle and sheep that squander our hard earned tax dollars!!
Noses in the trough!!!! Well done ol’mate.
No second poem as Eoin had to leave early.
Alex recited one of my favourite works by
all round artist Tom Waits tilted “Waltzing Matilda, Tom Traubert’s Blues”
written by Tom Waits on the subject of the life of an alcoholic and the struggles
of day to day existence of those less fortunate than others; and afflicted with
this illness. His second poem was tilted “Folklore” and warned of the perils of
killing a carpet python and the impact it can have on your run with luck. His
third poem was short and sweet titled “A Love Poem”, she got a red tattoo and
it said I love you!!!
Margaret, in Vincent’s absence, recited
several funny limericks, on various themes, Poor Fred, Pauline from Ipswich,
Young Albert at the footy, The Old Man from Kildare, Mary, and the old girl
that wore red and purple shoes!! Well received and very funny, recited as Ray looked on with his wonderful pencil portraits.
Ted joined in on the never should have theme and shared
his nice poem with us on how many things he shouldn’t have done from shucking
oysters to leaving the church once and many others events in his life. No
second poem as Ted also had to leave early.
Joyce started with a quick poem dedicated to the greatest
game of all, the NRL and the Balmain Tigers.
Her second poem was titled “Old Joe the Drover” a man who lived in the
outback where life is tough and the men are tougher, where nature calls and
regardless of where you are you can answer even if it’s beneath a eucalyptus
tree and right near a red belly black snake, the first time in history that a
stomach ache comically saved a man’s life!!! Her third poem was titled “Jimmy
Brown” a man from her art group that developed emphysema from inhaling the
paints all his life and how it never stopped him and he lovingly painted on
till he left this world.
Mac, as always followed Joyce, with a
poem, it was titled “A Famers Life” and spoke of how hard it was for a cane
cutter in the arly 1900’s in Far North Qld and particularly harsh on the women
of the day, a great poem. His second poem was I never should have written that
first poem last year as now he can’t get poetry out of his head and lines come
to him all the time, sleeping sitting and even playing golf!! Mac then snuck in limerick about a
rhabdomantist!! His third poem was reminiscing about all the rum he drank in
the old days, then as he grew wiser he slowed down to shandies and now that he
has completely lost it he is a tea totterer , and how he now notices whathe
missed when you are not pissed.
Alan quipped that ‘old poets’ never die
they just decompose. His poem was discovered on the WWW written by ANON
inspired by IWD international women’s day last week, the poem was about the
wife of Clancy, you know the one that had five kids and then went of droving!!
How tough it was for her in that period and for Clancy’s five kids!! His second
poem was about what he shouldn’t have done and how now he has a peanut allergy
and cannot enjoy the many delicious nutty tastes from around the world, his
closing statement was that the only nuts
he enjoys now are the clever ones at Poetry in Paradise every third Sunday of
the month.
Judy J our newest poet recited her poem
that is a tribute to her ex-husband that is living it rough in a caravan
somewhere in Australia and living with the difficulties of alcoholism. He is
travelling around with his best mate the dog. She then played a CD version of a
great tragic poem that was put to music tilted “When one drink is too many and
two is not enough”, a poem Judi said won first prize at Tamworth and deservedly
so.
Judy B sang her poem also today, it was
very funny and was about baking, fashion, and shows and all the ideas people
come up with about such topics, well sung and well received. Her second poem
was tilted “Bridesmaid’s” and was also well delivered in musical verse, the
poor old bridesmaids never get a date and good men are so hard to find and they
remained un-kissed!! Her third poem was
about a story she saw on TV about the new epidemic of criminals stealing
people’s identity and how she never thought such things could happen.
Tom poem was titled “The Heirloom” a
great poem about a husband finding his wife’s diary in the back of a family
dresser that was an antique heirloom, he read about her first love in all its
details and then questioned her about it as it was obviously not him, only to
find it wasn’t her diary it belonged to her Great Aunt!! His second poem was a
very emotional one about “My Life Long Lover” and he watched as she drew her
final breathe in the silent hours of darkness. His third poem by Eric Vogle
about “Nobody’s Moggie” and it was about its sad and catastrophic demise. His
final poem was tilted “Little Gomez” about his randy little Chihuahua that
mounted anything that came into his line of vision and was doing so until it
shuffled off this mortal coil.
Sandy one our new poets recited for the first time her poem
titled “Tangerine Lover” a very sweet loving passionate poem dedicated to her
Man. Her second poem was titled “The Last Ten Minutes”, another emotional poem
shared on the day, about her husband and written on the night that died in
1999. Her third poem was about a great adventure in her life when she lived in
the Cape York area for three months with no modern facilities or luxuries, but
sadly had to come back the world.
Roger was our final poet on the day and
shared the afternoon with Pammy by his side, he recited the Australian Bush
Poem by ANON “25 Bob” a true and wonderful poem about life on an Aussie dairy
farm before WWII, he was wearing his Prayer hat and was totally in character
and voice. Roger recited a second poem titled “It wasn’t my fault” about the
day he encountered a native from the planet Nabaroo while traversing in the
outback near Birdsville, it was revealed to him that an asteroid was wiping
earth off the intergalactic map on 25/12/12; it appears the little green guy
may have been wrong.
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