Yesterday afternoon, we took a drive out to the Bannockburn Golf Club, (where I used to play before my last two strokes put an end to my playing days.) The course is situated inside a State Forest surrounded by native bushland, where kangaroos graze and graciously share the fairways with those ‘crazy golfers’. At the moment the Club is undertaking the huge task of installing 18 new greens. Frankie and I inspected a few of the new greens. Frankie quickly adopted the place as his own and thoroughly enjoyed the vast expanse of grass and the many trees that he was able to explore …
“As a poet, sometimes we confuse ourselves, Trying to create ashes, instead of fire ” – Leonard Cohen
Over at Weekly Prompts the November Colour Challenge is: Flame … Please click on >> Here to visit their fabulous site. My poem below, is about whether or not anyone reads or takes any notice of the “flame” within a poet’s words.
“I set out one night When the tide was low There were signs in the sky But I did not know I’d be caught in the grip Of the undertow” – Leonard Cohen, from his poem ‘Undertow’, taken out his book “The Flame”
Help or Hindrance
There the penguin squats
So slick and smug
Point blank
He questions me
“What are you doing?
Where are you going?
What are you trying to achieve?”
Why are you crying?
“I’m timeworn and unsure”
I blandly reply to Freddie
The fidgety fairy penguin
And despairingly, I gaze
Back at Freddie
Through my teary eyes
As I continue to wonder
Are my imaginary words
A help or hindrance
“Until Eyes Hear Sound” will be available in December
On Monday morning (Sunday afternoon PDT), I attended a Writing Circle Poetry Group via Zoom with our host/convener, the gracious Ali Grimshaw >> https://flashlightbatteries.blog/online-writing-circles/ and after listening to her recite a selected piece of poetry we are then encouraged to write our own poetic response in “5 mins” … mine was a rough draft and I actually recite my poem the opposite way round to my finished one below …
Hello dear readers and followers, I am now writing for “Coffee House Writers” magazine on a fortnightly basis, and my poem “Cinnamon Toast”, is in this week’s edition of Coffee House Writers Magazine. … To Read my poem, please click on the link below to visit the article, at Coffee House Writers Magazine. >> Cinnamon Toast – Coffee House Writers
The “Epilogue” poem “Words of Mine” from my book Tullawalla, has been revised many times since my original version, written in November 2017, and the Tullawalla version is definitely my finale piece. Featured Image Above: An Illustration by my niece, Kerri Costello, for the ‘Epilogue’ poem, “Words of Mine” (Tullawalla, page 153)
Words of Mine(The Epilogue, in my book ‘Tullawalla’)
I’ve given you all, my humble words I’ve given you, my hidden soul Words trickling, through cool mountain streams Words dripping off the frozen ashen trees Words gliding across the icy lakes Words of love, drowning in the memory rains
I’ve given you all, my inner self I’ve given you, my outer grief Words Tumbling over the embedded rocks Words twisting along winding rivers Words cascading down the forest waterways Words sifting through my barren hands
I’ve given you all, my lonely heart I’ve given you, my secret loves Words of life, living under the vast oceans Words of time, travelling to the stars beyond Words flowing through happiness, and sorrow Words of mine, destiny’s dreams of tomorrow
“Words”, A song by Hailie Andersen(France), adapted from my poem ‘Words of Mine’ … Click on the Link below Hailie’s photo to listen to the ‘Soundcloud’ Audio
Over at Moonwashed Musings, the Weekly Prompt is: Mottled Sky Page >> https://amanpan.blog/2023/10/31/moonashed-weekly-prompt-mottled-sky-page/ …I have been overdoing it lately … writing until I am almost exhausted, so my response to the prompt is a bit jaded and moodily a ‘Bittersweet’ poem.
And at “Weekly Prompts” Wednesday Challenge the prompt word is: Bittersweet. You can visit their wonderful site by clicking on >> HERE
Over at Weekly Prompts, the Weekend Challenge is the word: Why. You may visit their fabulous site by clicking on >> Here Featured Image Above: A photo taken by Derrick Knight, >> https://derrickjknight.com/2023/10/27/autumn-has-arrived/ and again he has kindly given me permission to reproduce his intriguing photo, here on my poetry site … and I am always asking myself, Why?
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 