Even though I wrote this about the Iraq War in 2003, the sentiment is still relevent – Peace for all.

Bagdad Ballet

A young boy sits, comfortable on his mother’s shoulders,
smile-excited in the sunshine, taking part in a parade.
He proudly thrusts the finger-sign of peace forward, 1,2.
Nice to see in an Iraqi child – family, bombardered by
‘Shock and Awe’ the night before. Forgiving. But the visual
is blitzed as it flashed onscreen, by the plastic Sten gun
held aloft, background-brandished in the child’s other hand.

Do you think the young lad plays in secret tunnels, knows
where to hide, where doubles walk to keep the myth alive, so
Saddam appears safe, un-dead, ahead of the big game plan…
the magic tricks to keep awake illusions of still-controlled-city.
Streetlights burn in defiance of invaders largesse. Traffic moves
through the night while bright glows explode in distant thunder.
Shelling shock waves shatter windows and shower shrapnel as

we sit on green comfy sofas, presumed warm and safe inside,
miles away, enjoy sunshine day protest for peace in Shannon.
How long before they come knocking on my door? Paybacks.
News channels have started their adverts again, war-ratings
down, who’s funding the theatre – the performance rhetoric
carefully scripted, now? Permission is NOT granted – You are
not allowed to speak for me or kill in my name! Stop War Now!

Frances Macaulay Forde 2003

#NoMoreWar #PeacePoem #POEMBagdadBallet #Slava Ukraini #PoemsForPeace #WarNoMore #POEMSlavaUkraini #DancingInKyiv #PeaceForUkraine #NYResolutions #FightOnHeroes #NoMoreWar #PrayForPeace #PeaceForAll

This is the temporary Christmas Tree outside last year. It was too hot to sit inside with our decorations and Christmas Tree without air-con, so had to improvise – even though our garden looks like a desert in the 40 Deg C heat! We’re renovating and guess what? It’s going to be 41 Deg C tomorrow, so this time we’re taking no chances and decamping to my daughter’s air-con, south of Perth.

I wanted to wish you all a very happy and safe christmas, spent with those you love. May 2026 bring you all you need and maybe something you wish for too.

Thanks for reading my humble words.

(Photo taken down the road in 2006, on Hillarys Beach, for the Notebook Magazine story about how we reunited after 28 years.)

A generous man and great loss to entertainment. Long ago and far away, Garry awarded a short film made from my script ‘Love You Mum’ and offered to ‘see more’ from the filmmakers.  Although his focus was on the young student filmmakers, a small moment of indirect personal validation from such an august and revered writer/producer, gave me great heart and kept my hopes alive. Thank you, Garry Marshall.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/garry-marshall-dead-happy-days-912665

And from The Guardian:

Garry Marshall: a genuine mensch who made everything improbably joyous.

This short film of my script was produced and directed by students from Adelaide Centre for the Arts and awared more than 30 times by various festivals in the America, Canada and Australia. I will always treasure the very kind words from Garry Marshall – a director whose many films I have loved.

#FrancesMacaulayForde #GarryMarshall #LoveYouMum #MyScripts #ACAFilmStudents #Scriptwriting #FilmStudents

In 1985 Peter Aquilina got me a 6 week temp assignment as Secretary to the Managing Director Mike Dorsey (‘Daddy’ of No 96 fame) for a the regional TV Station in Tuart Hill, Mid-Western Television. After three days, he discovered I was also a Writer, Director and Producer of my own small projects through Sphinx Productions, out of hours. From then on, I wrote the news for Liam Bartlett, wrote and made in-house ads in the production studio and stood in for Prod Manager Pam Borain when she was away. Then when the ‘star’ of the studio flounced out one day, I was told to gather all who wanted to be on-air for an audition upstairs. The boss asked me to write and demonstrate a ‘for instance’ script, which I did and he told all the others to go – they didn’t even get a chance. I did NOT want to be on camera – hated every minute. The only thing that saved me was the banter Peter (my cameraman) kept up, trying to make me ‘lose it’ on-air! So here’s a laugh from way back when :o))

#SphinxProductions #FrancesMacaulayForde #1985MusicVideo #PerthRailStation #SwanBrewery #SwanRiver #DramaMusVideo #MusicVideo

Here’s a blast from the past – the one and only music video Sphinx Productions did, when adding story to music videos was a new thing. We shot the 1985 video in the (then) burnt-out Swan Brewery site on the Swan River, Perth City Railway Station and Fremantle streets. (Apologies for some of the presentation. It was transfered from an old stretched video tape to DVD.)

#SphinxProductions #FrancesMacaulayForde #1985MusicVideo #PerthRailStation #SwanBrewery #SwanRiver #DramaMusVideo #MusicVideo

Thank you, Cathy746Books for writing about a book by one of my favourite screenwriters – love her books and films! I’m about to order it and can’t wait to read before watching on screen (as I am sure it soon will be).

#Cathy746Books #NoraEphron #Screenwriter #NewBook #Heartburn

• Ah, the good old days… so much more complicated to shoot a 6min story. Now we do it on our phones!
• ‘Some Folks’ Folk’ was filmed in 16mm in 1986… It was a first production for Peter Aquilina and I as we set up Sphinx Productions.
• Although I scripted the doco (a new thing in those days) and Peter edited, Friends Film Productions helped me direct and produce it.
• Thanks to Heather Williams, Chris Lynch, Mathew Kelly and Roland Smith. This project was sponsored by P. Tilli & Assoc.
• Of course many thanks go to Iris Jones and members of the Hills Folk Club without whom the whole thing would not have happened. Iris and I were folkie-friends so what better introduction to 16mm for me than a dramatised documentary!
• If anyone is interested in watching the finished film on You Tube, here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHXCMRlfplA40m

#FrancesMacaulayForde #SomeFolksFolk #16mmFilm #SphinxProd #PeterAquilina #FriendsFilmProd #HeatherWilliams #MathewKelly #ChrisLynch #RolandSmith #HillsFolkClub #PTillyAssoc #FilmShoot1986 #DramatisedDoco

Yellow Days 

Driving through Toodyay 
in late August before 
Spring arrives officially
yellow makes me smile.

Broome just opening 
dotted with hives
flavouring the honey
and signs: ‘Beware Bees’.

Field undulating through 
hills, no straight lines sewn 
to follow dips, valleys,
creeks and around trees.

Canola makes me smile.
In fields waiting to be seeded,
purple spikes take advantage
of a clear run to the sun.

Some giant brush has been busy.
Far hills are painted ochre 
as we enter another Shire, 
splashed with blue Leshenaultia.

Spring’s finished painting... 
English fields are patch-worked. 
Here in Western Australia, we let 
land and trees decide the design.


Frances Macaulay Forde © 2013

#SpringPoems #YellowDays #YellowFields #YellowFlowers #WestAustralia #Wildflowers #Country #Nature #NaturePoem