ACT 1: This poem “Desertification” 1st appeared in the 2007 anthology of Fellowship of Australian Writers WA “Lines in the Sand”, on page 28.
ACT 2: Also that year, I was flattered to be asked to read it at the launch of John Kinsella‘s “Shades of the Sublime and Beautiful” published in 2008 by Fremantle Press, together with Dennis Haskell and Glen Phillips, in the University of WA bookshop. There was a video taken that night but I can’t get it to upload here…
ACT 3: This poem inspired a young poet Marlia Douglas to write her own poem with the same title. I found all this out when Marlia turned up at one of my Poets Corner events.
She just happened to be in the State Library when it was on, and poked her head in to listen. As host I was constantly looking out for new poets and convinced her to read in the Open Mic section.
Marlia said her poem had been inspired by Frances Macaulay Forde’s poem of the same name and didn’t even realize I had just introduced her to the audience. They were mostly regulars and applauded loudly when they heard her comment knowing she didn’t know who I was.
Her version of the poem later appeared in INDIGO JOURNAL Vol3 (2010) which also included another of my poems “My Life as a Sari”.
ACT 4: This is a recording of the poem I did a few years ago.
desertification
before cultivation the water flowed
bouncing on leaves falling falling
to pool on fertile forest floor below
before cultivation the water flowed
flora bursting with life and clean air
jostling for sunspace canopy flirting
before cultivation the water flowed
we didn’t listen as we ploughed
clearing tree roots to feed fields
before cultivation the water flowed
now encrusted salt lusts after land
no sweetness here just bitter dry sand
Frances Macaulay Forde © 2007
#FrancesMacaulayForde #Desertification #Poems #Environment #Australia #John Kinsella #Glen Phillips #Dennis Haskell #poets
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