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040225BeachWalksOrigWEB

Invention

 

I don’t need a Bell Curve

showing the Probability of Distribution

nor an economist theorizing

about the Positive Externalities

 

this is no pie in the sky nor castle in the air

although this is a novelty for me

an invention of a future

love is a collaborative result

a breakthrough in this human’s knowledge

an altruistic patent knowing I can love again

 

because necessity is the mother of invention

and we invented you and I

put into practice love after fifty

 

according to the five Laws of Limitations

(Diffusion of Innovations)

Knowledge

~ you found me on the net after thirty years

Persuasion

~ you in Ireland me in Oz and Messenger

Decision

~ both agreeing to Explore the Possibilities

Implementation   

~ your plane landing at Perth Airport and that hug

and Confirmation

~ yachts and vows on Hillarys Boat Harbour

W082MarriedWalk

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2007

 

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #LoveOnTheBeach  #BellCurve  #Invention  #LoveAfter50  #LawsOfLimitations  #Knowledge  #Persuasion  #Decision  #Implementation  #Confirmation  #Yaghts  #HillarysBoatHarbour  #PerthAirport  #Ireland  #Australia  #Messenger  #PieInTheSky  #CastleInTheAir

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12Aug30Dowerin (17)W

‘We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.’
Anais Nin

A Facebook friend (thanks Jennifer Mars) reminded me of this favorite quote, so I thought I’d share an unpublished example from a book I’m working on called “Tasting Life Twice”.

 

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 and creeks

and around trees

 

Canola makes me smile

field waiting to be seeded

purple spikes take advantage

of a clear run to the sun

 

Far hills painted Ochre

as we enter another Shire

splash of blue Leschenaultia

 

Some giant brush has been busy

Soon Spring will show

its finished painting

 

England’s fields are patchworks

Here in Western Australia

we let the land and trees

decide the design

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2013

 

#FrancesMacaulayForde #TastingLifeTwice

 

 

 

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Upturned bottles once lined with military order

on dusty, termite-rotten shelves. Fingerprints,

clear spaces of use, caught by the shafts of daylight

through pin-holes where nails have been.

 

A puddle of spilt pain, beneath an upturned bench.

Life, wasted in boozy stench lies forgotten,

punished for excess, while determined creatures

march with hunger towards rotten snacks.

Dirt’s secret world survives in semi-darkness.

 

Corrugated walls, rusting-red and brown. Drips

where rain had been, left tracks as if guiding

to the next place. A dark, dank, mud-bed

suitable for long soft round things

to slither and slide through eyes now closed.

Still focused on nightmare dreams, gone before.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 1998

 

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #POEMBarOfGrief  #BOOKHiddenCapacity  #eBOOKReturnOfRainbows

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In the light of terrible tragedy, my thoughts are with the families of passengers and crew of the Malaysian Airliner shot down today.

When will we learn to care about each other, again?

I thought I’d share a poem written when I was eighteen, in Africa and thinking of other wars many years ago.

It seems the world doesn’t change and we never learn…

ON MY SHELF

No-one knows me, no-one cares

as I lonely through my window stare.

Observing the world all by myself

Sitting alone on  my own little shelf.

 

I watch and judge the world and its ways

never taking part in it’s little plays.

Though some are bad and some are good

some of them I’ve never really understood.

 

Yes, I disagree with many moves

why can’t this world just learn to love ?

Do without wars and fighting – we should –

but somehow, do you think we ever could ?

 

The needless waste of human lives

The sorrow of a family that’s deprived

    (of their loved ones).

 

How unfair it seems that some should have

and others are left to scrimp and save.

How beautiful and rich some lands and

others consist only of sky and sand.

 

One day the world will right itself

while I sit, left alone on my shelf.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 1968

#Frances Macaulay Forde

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12JulPCGreenINeedYou

 

I started doing poetry postcards when I ran Poets Corner @ Pages Cafe as a giveaway on each table.  I figured if people were kind enough to sit and listen, they deserved a keepsake.

I’m still in the habit and find them useful as giveaways at readings and book events.   I get them printed – often for free, when VISTA PRINT  do ‘specials’.

This one has the first (the very first) oil painting I ever did, on it.  My dad gave me a set of oils for my 12th birthday and a small tester board.

I haven’t done more than a handful since but this first attempt at oils, was always my favorite.

The poem was written for my returned love; every time he turns to carry on with his everyday… I miss him this much.

 

#FrancesMacaulayForde   #PoetsCorner@PagesCafe  #POEM:INeedYou  #ExploringPossibilities

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for-rhino-in-a-shrinking-world-lb

Yesterday, I received my copy of  For RHINO in a Shrinking World,  the anthology published to raise awareness and funds of their plight.

Just a quick flick through and I am very impressed.  Although my entry ‘Thandi‘ wasn’t successful, those that were are worth a read.

So I posted my poem up on the  ABC Tales board  and received some complimentary feedback and today – a cherry!

Thank you to the ABC Powers That Be for making my Sunday.

 

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11PCCoralBayW

 

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #POEM:CoralBay  @FMFPoetryPostcards

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I feel I’ve neglected my blog lately and I do sincerely apologize; work, life, writing, challenges and ambition have totally distracted me.

But am I getting anything done?   Yes – although how effective I’m being remains to be seen…

There are now 5 short story and 3 poetry chapbook KINDLES on Amazon and I’m proud of myself for putting them up for the world to judge.

Disappointingly I’ve only had two bites so far and will admit, I expected more – but it’s early days. The first rookie mistake was being all excited and talking about my books too early.

I kept adjusting them and while they were being re-published they weren’t available, so anyone who may have initially had an interest, soon lost it.  My bad. But I’m learning, so the next challenge is to make my books stand out from all those millions already on there.

I’m also going to add some children’s stories which haven’t been illustrated yet as soon as I’ve painted covers for them. (KINDLE is not recommended for books which contain lots of pictures.)

811pbJJ4NTL._SL1500_ (1)

As I mention in my books, most of the Short Stories have also been adapted to scripts and one (Love You Mum) has even been filmed, winning awards here in Oz, in the USA and Canada.

I’ve also been busy at work – covering my bills is a priority although I do resent the time away from my current writing challenges, particularly my 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge.

June was taken up with my 30-day KINDLE Book Challenge which actually ends next week and I have a lot of catching up to do even though I have published books within the challenge.

And poetry always distracts me but I keep hoping a LOTTO ticket will save me 🙂

LOTTO LIFE

 

It unites us.

This dream

  to have choices.

Whether to work or laze.

Decide our futures

  instead of waiting for opportunity.

 

The universal language of need

–       not greed.

 

We’ve lost control.

Caught up in the flow

   of magazine lifestyle.

The one we desire and reality.

 

To walk through town

  not asking the price.

Carrying the labels

  which define our success.

Purchases we don’t need.

 

It’s universal

  the conviction that money

  will right all our wrongs

  and make the world spin

  in our direction.,

 

When we buy a ticket

  we’ve planted the seed.

 

The seed of our fantasies.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 1999

(Appears in my ‘Return of Rainbows’ KINDLE edition)

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #KINDLE:ReturnOfRainbows  #POEM:LottoLife

#KINDLE:LoveYouMum

 

 

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BackCoverForBookData

Do you ego-search on the net?  You should.  It’s amazing what you find.

Just put your name like this: “Sarah Smith” into Google search and check where your name appears on the World Wide Web.

I’ve just discovered this reading of ‘My Car’ from ‘Hidden Capacity ~ a poet’s journey’ done some time ago which I had completely forgotten about.

I also discovered that Poemhunter.com seems to be doing really well out of the 52 poems I uploaded there years ago.

My poems seem to get a reasonable number of visitors and the site haven’t missed a trick in using them without formal permission.

Although perhaps their Terms & Conditions when I uploaded them originally, covered that – and who reads them properly?

Without my consent, there’s an e-book of the poems available for free.

Now that I’m selling my own e-books, it sort of clashes and makes me wonder if I should leave the poems on there for the publicity or take them down.

I decided to add the link to my KINDLE books on each page instead and hope it brings some sales.

Also each has been converted to a (questionable) ‘video’ some with automated voices reading the poems.  Here’s their version of my ‘All Stops’.

Amazing what you find…

 

#francesmacaulayforde  #VideoPoems   #VideoReadings

 

P.S. I’ve just realized I started the month with this poem…

 

 

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140623RetofRAINCover

Still on the KINDLE kick, my latest upload (probably not available yet as still being processed) is another Poetry Chapbook ~ the third.

(I’ve just added two examples of poems from my ‘Love’  KINDLE uploaded over the weekend,  just like I did for my ‘Rail Tales’ blog post.)

‘The Return of Rainbows’ was also conceived at University as a mature-age student bloodied by life’s battles and as always, finding succor in words.

My seemingly audacious presence provided lots of  fodder to explore the constant challenges and effects of that experience on my life.

 

The Return of Rainbows

Driving down Alexander,

(early morning rush hour)

lecture on documentary film.

Eager for knowledge, I noted

low, broad bands of colour

spanning the sky above Uni.

Ignoring the grey clouds,

I welcomed the return

of rainbows to my life.

 

Instinct

There’s no place for love

at this time in my life.

I envy those who achieve

the balance of need.

 

Opportunities ignored

in the interest of safe-ness,

flying toward my ability’s

determined focus.

 

Children gone in their own

living-dreams direction,

lessons learnt and heeded.

My job’s complete.

 

Is this my way of avoiding

the ‘empty nest’  syndrome?

Gath’ring materials for comfort

as I settle into old age?

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2003

(I’m about to upload some short stories next.)

#ReturnOfRainbows #FrancesMacaulayForde #McAlpineBellPublishing

 

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