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How House Coffee and Wildflowers Go Together

Posted in Art, Other blogs, Writers, Writing, tagged John Michael Cook on September 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

How House Coffee and Wildflowers Go Together.

I’m a new fan of John’s. This blog post is written with such attention to detail I feel as if I am walking through Amazing Grace Bakery, tasting the coffee and sketching what I see…

#JohnMiachaelCook

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Womankind

Posted in Art, Books, Writing on September 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »

My sincere apologies: I’ve again been distracted by work but wanted to share my new obsession – magazine-wise: ‘Womankind’.

For all my followers who are amazing photographers – there’s an award closing on the 30th November 2014.

Fabulously inspiring pages both visually stunning and with considered, careful, intriguing words, so perfectly placed on each page – I’m hooked.

You will be too – it’s new and augers well for a future filled with ‘Womankind’.

#FrancesMacaulayForde #WomankindMag #Womankind #InspiringWords #FabulousArt

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Front Page Impact

Posted in Ireland, Poetry, Sketching In Ireland, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, impact of photos, Ireland, morals, newpaper articles, photoographs, poems, poetry on September 12, 2014| 1 Comment »

Written in response to an article in the Irish Examiner, 9th May 2003.

Front Page Impact

Was it right to show all those bodies

in make-shift coffins, lined up like

so many bargains at a boot sale?

What’s happened to our humanity

when thirty-three elderly people die

and the focus is on the ‘exciting’ visuals

of a train hitting a bus – slicing it in half,

reveling in the mangled mess? I said

the same about recent war coverage.

Am I the only one who cringes, every time

I see pain and suffering celebrated without

thought of the mother, father, brother, friend.

Or the lover, who may chance to see a half-clothed,

disguarded pile of damaged meat and bones,

and suddenly recognize a shirt or scarf or shoe…

Published on the net: Write Out Loud

#FrancesMacaulayForde #Impact #DeadBodies #Exposure #Unauthorized #Poetry #IrishExaminer

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London Court Cafe

Posted in Perth City, Poetry, WA Writers, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, Perth, Perth City, poetry, poetry in Western Australia, words, writer, writing on September 10, 2014| Leave a Comment »

what are you thinking

where are you looking

not at me

why?

the times

insecure

scared

private

secrets held

hands grasp bags

pats wallet

life blood exists

reassurance

woman in track-pants

yakka green

hunt food

nylon jackets

eat and walk

forget manners

quickly – no time

lighter

hidden puffs

blurred singing

sadness

plastic rustles

stumble

life wins the battle

shame bottle

executive black

cash freedom

uniform success

yellow jewelry

sustained work

blood money

comfortable shoes

mushy cardies

link arms

coats in sunshine

meander

disregard fashion

first eye contact

traditional warmth

traveling through life

together

relaxed touch

look into my eyes

I exist

I breathe

friendship

I’m secure

the day is shining

I give

look at me

I’m whole

I’m here

where are you going?

* Published in ‘Hidden Capacity ~ a poet’s journey’ Ireland 2003.

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And I am… jealous.

Posted in Love, Poetry, Romance, WA Writers, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, jealous, Love, love poem, poetry, romance, wa writer on September 9, 2014| 2 Comments »

And I am…

looking through photos of days gone by

– your women – sharp intake of breath.

A caressing finger

tells me more

than words or deeds.

A hidden agenda

when revealed

shocks absolutely.

You laugh ‘Ha’ and say,

‘We’re talking about

20 years ago!’

OK, yes we are, but

in that moment

– in our time

you experience

pleasure –

that same tingle

you experienced

20 years ago

when your pen*s

responded

to a girl

everyone

lusted after.

And I am

…jealous.

#FrancesMacaulayForde #jealous #poetry #romance #lovepoem #love

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“Two Shakes of a Dead Lamb’s Tail”

Posted in Animals, Books, Favorite Writers, nature, WA Writers, Writers, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, Noreen Reeves, Two Shakes of a Dead Lamb's Tail on September 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

While peddling our wares at The Pines Markets at Curtin University yesterday, a new marketeer Noreen Reeves was selling her autobiography.

As writers, we chatted and naturally, I bought a copy of “Two Shakes of a Dead Lamb’s Tail” available on Amazon as a Kindle, Hardback or Paperback.

(The book is available from the printer although vastly over-priced! As ‘they’ are NOT on my list of recommendations, I certainly won’t.)

Noreen and I discovered we’re almost neighbors, both living off Ocean Reef Road. We weren’t busy due to the rain and wind so I had time to glance sporadically, up to the third chapter, between serving customers.

So far I’ve read; Noreen is about to have her second baby with a toddler who disappears into the jungle but finds his way safely to his father’s school, Tinputz Vocational Centre. Life certainly isn’t routine for her young family in what seems to be the middle of no-where. Isolated, disorientated and victims of the oppressive heat and prolific wildlife seemingly with no respite and no regular food supply…

“Familiarity began to settle us into a routine. The fly-wire installation was completed, which made life more comfortable. The fockez (flying foxes) could no longer slalom through the windows; however it didn’t deter the geckoes for long. They were beautiful little creatures and it was sometimes a night’s entertainment watching them chase each other around the walls. It was however, anathema not to have a plethora of bugs flying and crawling all around us when the lights were lit. “

The book reminds me of my own Colonial upbringing in Central Africa. Noreen ‘grows up’ in Bougainville Island, pre-independence New Guinea, then shares her life on the farm near Gippsland Lakes in Victoria and a sheep station in outback WA.

It’s Noreen’s 1st book – can’t help but feel this is only the beginning…

#FrancesMacaulayForde #NoreenReeves #TwoShakesOfALDeadLamb’sTail #Autobiography #WAWriters #Author #Writer #AmazonBooks #BougainvilleIsland #NewGuinea #GippslandLakes #VictoriaAU #SheepStation #OutbackWA

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Art as the Spark: Connections

Posted in Art, Art as the Spark, Poetry, WA Writers, Writing, tagged Art as the Spark, Creative Connections, Frances Macaulay Forde on September 7, 2014| 1 Comment »

Three of five poems written to the art of the disabled and sold with the works during the Creative Connections Exhibition 2007.

Circles

In this match of life
others call a game
my hands flutter to
find the finger holes

I fix my gaze on pins
measuring the lane
grip hard and swing
bowling ball aimed

been knocked down
but stubborn as a pin
I stand again, ready
for the next bowler.

Country

take my hand
walk with me
through family

follow straight
railway lines
in the sunshine

leave hand prints
in caves sprayed
white sand hills

mountains of
red clay heart
brown beauty

take my hand
walk with me
through country

Wild Orchid

With a naturists eye
infinite care, such
considered placement.
A fern frond here.
A gum leaf there.

Pink & yellow dried
petals, delicate veins
like a bridal veil,
placed in the centre
of your wedding cake.

An orchid appears
exotic and rare,
like me.

#FrancesMacaulayForde #CresativeConnections #ArtAsTheSpark

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Reading: “Dogs Singing”

Posted in Animals, Books, Ireland, Poetry, Writers, Writing, tagged DogsSinging, Frances Macaulay Forde, JessieLendennie, SalmonBookshop, SalmonPoetry on September 6, 2014| 1 Comment »

My friend Jessie Lendennie, poet and Salmon Poetry publisher extraordinaire loves dogs so much, she called on poetic friends to send their poems about dogs for a tribute anthology; “Dogs Singing”.

The result is a book I keep on my desk to savor, to delve into, every now an then.

I still miss my own faithful Butchy – often feel him pacing outside the back door and fancy I catch a glimpse of him checking the garden, as I hang the washing.

This poem by Desmond Gough is simply called “Zach” appears on page 61 of 417 pages.

You can order your own copy on-line or pop into the Salmon Bookshop & Literary Centre in Ennistymon, Co. Clare.

#FrancesMacaulayForde #JessieLendennie #SalmonPoetry #SalmonBookshop #DogsSinging

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Reading: ‘Crannog 36 ~ Summer’

Posted in Books, Favorite Writers, Ireland, nature, Poetry, Short Stories, Writers, Writing, tagged Crannog, Crannog -36 Summer, Frances Macaulay Forde, Irish Magazine, Maggie Breen, Other Things I Didn't Tell you, poetry, short stories on September 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

This is an example of why I look forward to receiving my copy of the latest Crannog Magazine. I also submit short stories and poetry, hoping one day to find a piece of my own nestled between the gems I enjoy in each issue.

It’s inspiring to discover new (to me) writers. I am now a fan of Maggie Breen and will have to add “Other Things I Didn’t Tell” to my wish list

#FrancesMacaulayForde #Crannog36 #IrishMagazine #Poretry #ShortStories #MaggieBreen #OtherThingsIDidntTell

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Spring has Sprung!

Posted in nature, Perth City, Poetry, Writing, tagged Frances Macaulay Forde, Kings Park Perth, Perth City, Perth WA, spring, Spring Poems on August 31, 2014| 2 Comments »

Perth Daily Blog: “Seduced by the Yellow”

This week, we paid our bills by selling our wares at the 50th Dowerin Field Day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

A small country town with a normal population of 352, Dowerin explodes with the event, attracting about 20,000 people from all around the South West and maybe further.

Held in the middle of nowhere – actually on the edge of the Australian Wheatbelt, farmers flock there to check out the latest equipment.

Some fly their planes in, those in the know stay on farms which suddenly transform into B & B’s while others (like us), drive the 150 km there and another 150 km back on small country roads, each of the three days.

The planes are no surprise given that many farms are the size of small European Countries!

My sister-in-law also took the trip (not by plane but enjoyed our Winter countryside) and did a wonderful job of covering the event on her Perth Daily Blog.

Here in Western Australia, tomorrow is officially the first day of our Spring – also the beginning of the Kings Park Spring Festival.

As the article says, when I first arrived I made a bee-line for the beautiful park overlooking Perth City and the gorgeous Swan River, but it looked very different then and I can’t find the photos… so I’ll share a poem instead. 🙂

Sun kissed

Like a cobra,

I am coiled

ready to strike

any who dare

limit my growth.

Germinating new

species hidden

deep in the earth

waiting to bloom

colored with sun.

Tension-ed taut,