Before You – 2002 – in my study.

This poem is from another chapbook-in-progress entitled ‘Exploring Possibilities’ full of pieces written when My Man reappeared and offered a different future while I weighed the risk, knowing my recent past with a different man.

28 years later…

In the afternoon of my life,

settled,

content and comfortable

in my alone-ness 

you

question me!

You destroy

my strong defences,

obliterate

my sense and reason

to let you in!

For my heart,

bow wave of confusion,

tense terror times

of doubt and fear

~ unknown ~

risk everything,

my ordered now!

The colours of my life

changing to a

different hue…

You terrify me!

Wanting – needing

arms that enclose

a broken heart…

Make it whole again!

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2002

#POEM:28YearsLater     #ExploringPossibilties  #FrancesMacaulayForde   #BeforeYou  #Poetry

A poem from my chapbook ‘Love’. 

ReUnion

stepping softly

you trod the path

to my front door

never rang the bell

played favourite songs

over and over until

senses on overload

surrounded by romance

you kissed me quick

heart pumped electric

singing over barriers

erected years ago

against pain and hurt

welcomed as veins

formed highways

joined the chorus

zinging with heat

barely contained

thrumming melody

words all ready

rhymed with roses

thorns ignored

fresh and bloody

us young again

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2003

#POEM:Re-Union  #BOOK:Love  #FrancesMacaulayForde  #Poetry  #LovePoems

Another one from my 1968 Notebook… now fully scanned.

Shall I?

Shall I open my mind and let you see

deep inside my heart, the real me?

Shall I let you wander through the avenues

float on the waves of solitude?

Shall I let you sample my inner fears

find out all the reasons for my lonely tears?

Shall I let you see the feelings I suppress

like affection and love, hate and sadness?

Shall I give away my independence,

my loneliness and oneness?

Shall I be the same as everyone else?

Shall I show what feelings I’ve really felt?

Shall I tell all my secrets to you?  No –

there’s no telling what harm you’d do,

if you laughed…

Frances Macaulay Forde © 1973

#POEM:ShallI?  #1968Notebook  #FrancesMacaulayForde  #Loneliness

Bullcreek Aircraft Museum, WA.

Time to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month again… Lest We Forget.

Sir Winston Churchill said it so well, ‘Never have so many owed so much to so few.’

#RemembranceDay  #LestWeForget  #BraveHeroes  #SirWinstonChurchill

One of a few short 5 min. scripts written as an episode for a TV Series but never produced based on my original poem  And I am…

(This version was altered for reading on-line and therefore not a representation of the original script format. )

PHOTOGRAPHS  – 2ND DRAFT – MARCH 2013

FRANCES MACAULAY FORDE © JANUARY 2006

FADE IN.

1. SCENE: INT. OPEN PLAN LOUNGE/KITCHEN. DAY 1. EARLY EVENING 1

TRAVIS opens the door. He is wearing a suit and a white shirt with his tie loosened and a newspaper tucked under his arm. He bowls his backpack along the corridor in the general direction of his bedroom, takes a couple of steps forward, chucks the newspaper onto the coffee table and removes his jacket, throwing it onto the back of the armchair. He strides toward, then opens the fridge.

2. SCENE: INT. OPEN PLAN LOUNGE/KITCHEN. DAY 1. LATE EVENING 2

TRAVIS is watching television.  There is a now-empty dinner plate, accoutrements and crumbs next to his leather-shod, crossed feet on the coffee table, also a couple of empty beer bottles and some documents.  There’s an open newspaper and a photo album next to him on the couch.  TRAVIS does not look happy.

The front door opens and JOOLES arrives stone cold sober, dressed in an authentic-looking nun’s outfit. She stands at the door for a moment, taking in the depressing scene.

JOOLES

Let me guess – Kelly called? 

TRAVIS

Let me guess – Saints N Sinners?  No – Didn’t-Ya-Get-Nun – she didn’t.

JOOLES

What’s up then? Any wine cold?

As TRAVIS takes in the outfit, he smilingly explains while JOOLES moves provocatively and playfully across the room, taking off various bits of her habit, revealing first her hair and shaking it loose, then gradually more and more skin until she is wearing a tank top and black bike pants.

TRAVIS

Stuffed up at work – well, I didn’t,  exactly, but I ended up wearing it…     

TRAVIS stops talking mid-sentence, watches, enjoys the game, shakes himself into action and stands abruptly to fetch a glass for JOOLES from in the adjoining kitchen.  Taking the bottle of wine from the fridge he fills it and hands it to JOOLES.

TRAVIS

I’m a tad worried… I find a nun stripping in my lounge strangely erotic.  Da da da – dada da da…

TRAVIS bends back into the fridge, grabs another beer and walks back to sit on the couch.

JOOLES

God – you must be desperate! I am never – and don’t you dare let me – ever get talked into wearing…

JOOLES takes a large gulp of her wine, indicates her clothing then flops down beside TRAVIS on the couch. The newspapers rustle and she briefly leans closer toward him to allow the removal of the photo album and newspaper from under her bottom.

TRAVIS takes a deep breath, savoring her perfume.

JOOLES

…so bloody good.  I have behaved myself all night and it’s been killing me!

TRAVIS

Well now’s your chance.  So have I – and it’s been killing me too!

TRAVIS opens his arms for JOOLES to fall into.

JOOLES laughs and hits him playfully with the newspaper.

JOOLES

I’ve told you this‘ll mark the couch.

Later, the photo album is open, TRAVIS grinning, is slightly inebriated and enjoying JOOLES leaning over him to laugh at his pictures.

JOOLES

You haven’t changed…

TRAVIS

My first tie and first jacket – the lawyer look.

He leans closer momentarily stroking the photograph of a pretty teenager with infinite gentleness.

TRAVIS

My first kiss.

JOOLES reacts jealously.

JOOLES

So you’ve always had excruciatingly bad taste!

JOOLES gets up to collect her clothing and flounce off toward her bedroom.

TRAVIS

Oh – woe – this from a woman who has a habit – get it – of walking the streets in full-length badly fitting, unflattering black!

3. SCENE: INT. OPEN PLAN LOUNGE/KITCHEN. DAY 2. EARLY EVENING 3

TRAVIS opens the door and enters.  He is wearing the same suit and white shirt as in 1 but a different tie, loosened. He has the newspaper tucked under his arm.  In his practiced routine, he bowls his backpack along the corridor in the general direction of his bedroom, takes a couple of steps forward, chucks the newspaper onto the coffee table, removes his jacket and throws it onto the back of the armchair. He strides toward, the opens the fridge.

4. SCENE: INT. OPEN PLAN LOUNGE/KITCHEN. DAY 2. LATE EVENING 4

TRAVIS is watching television.  There is a now-empty pizza box next to his leather-shod, crossed feet on the coffee table, also a couple of empty beer bottles. The newspaper is next to him on the couch.

The front door opens and JOOLES arrives slightly inebriated, dressed in a full-length, brightly flowered hippy caftan, covered in beads with more flowers in her hair and a heart painted on her face. She stands at the door swaying for a moment holding up two fingers.

JOOLES

Peace man!  Hic.

TRAVIS

60’s. Not a bad look…  Lots of free love was there?

JOOLES wanders to the coffee table and opens the pizza box.  She holds up her hand as if a glass is in it.

JOOLES

Empty…

JOOLES moves across the room singing off-key, taking off her beads while she slow-motion dances Woodstock style, dropping flowers all around the room.

JOOLES

It is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…

TRAVIS watches the performance with a smile on his face and stands up, dodging JOOLES who dances close, attempting to pull her caftan over her head without falling.

TRAVIS hopefully looks underneath the caftan but decides to help JOOLES escape her robes, disappointed to find her wearing a tank top and jeans.

They both maneuver into the kitchen.  TRAVIS grabs a glass and opens the fridge.  He holds JOOLES up with one hand and gives her the empty glass to hold while he pours the wine into it.  JOOLES sways and playfully moves the glass around but he follows her to the couch and doesn’t spill a drop.

TRAVIS

Am I to presume that hippy is happy?

JOOLES

Hippy is sleepy… take me to bed.

TRAVIS looks down at her heavy eyes closing, takes the glass out of her hand and places it onto the coffee table.

TRAVIS smiles down at JOOLES for a moment then makes a decision.

TRAVIS

Come on then.  Some offers are just too good to refuse.

Mark puts his arm around the drowsy JOOLES and lifts her up.  He carries her toward the bedroom.

5. SCENE: INT. JOOLES’ BEDROOM. DAY 2 – LATE EVENING    5

TRAVIS gently lays the sleepy JOOLES onto the bed.  He unbuttons the top button of her jeans, his hand lingers momentarily then he pulls the quilt up and tucks it around her shoulders.

TRAVIS

Sleep tight, Princess.

6. SCENE: INT. OPEN PLAN LOUNGE/KITCHEN. DAY 3 – EARLY EVENING 6

TRAVIS opens the door and enters.  He’s wearing the same suit, no tie and pale blue shirt, takes a couple of steps forward, removes his jacket, throws it onto the back of the armchair, bowls his backpack along the corridor opens the fridge.  He stops and closes the fridge without getting a drink, moves over to pick up his jacket, purposefully strides off, picking up his backpack toward his bedroom.

7. SCENE: INT. OPEN PLAN LOUNGE/KITCHEN. DAY 3 – LATE EVENING 7

TRAVIS is freshly showered, listening to soft classical music in a smart pair of slacks with a crisp, pale pink shirt open at the collar and no shoes.  The lighting is low and candles are lit.

There is a steaming coffee cup on the coffee table and a couple of style magazines stacked dead centre.  The couch cushions have not been disturbed and the room is neat with no dishes or washing-up visible in the kitchen.  On the breakfast bar, an ice-bucket gleams in the candlelight containing a frosted bottle of wine with two clean classes ready, next to it.

There is some scratching and bumping, jangling of keys, a couple of dull thumps before the front door opens sharply and JOOLES falls into the room.

JOOLES looks amazing. She is dressed in provocative, skin tight and very revealing black, shiny leather – a full-on dominatrix. She stands at the door and cracks her whip, threatening TRAVIS.

TRAVIS is so angry at the sight of her, he is lost for words. JOOLES is drunkenly unaware of his reaction.  The classical music adds to the drama.

JOOLES

I have found my vocation in life.

TRAVIS stands up, ready to walk toward his bedroom.

TRAVIS

You look like a whore.

JOOLES has no idea of his angry reaction.

JOOLES

No – Dominaxatrixa – sa, sa… John TRAVIS – Wine for your Mistress!

TRAVIS

Get it your fucking self!

It takes a moment to sink in but JOOLES is shocked.  She moves across the room towards him, unbuckling belts, still absentmindedly moving the whip but not cracking it.

JOOLES

Oh.  Had a bad night, have we?  Wasssamadda? It’s bloody hot…

JOOLES leans on TRAVIS, takes hold of the zip at her breasts and slowly pulls it down, looking TRAVIS steadily in the eye. She has nothing on underneath. JOOLES hooks the whip around TRAVIS’s neck and pulls his face down to kiss him.

TRAVIS pushes her away.

TRAVIS

You’re drunk.  Go to bed.

GO TO BLACK.

#SCRIPT:Photographs  #FMFScreenwriter  #FMFScripts  #FrancesMacaulayForde

Here’s their webpage  and this article

How to Direct Action Set Pieces in the Australian Outback… with Camels

by writer/director Alison James, is the reason I am reposting.

P.S.  Did I mention how many awards it has won already?  And an Oscar Nomination!

#FILM:JudasCollar  #AwardWinning  #OscarNominated  #AlisonJames  #ShortFilm  #LocalHero  #WAFilmakers