‘Coral Bay’

Photo of ‘Coral Bay’ from :  http://hubpages.com/art/westernaustraliaphotos#

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #SoundPoems  #POEM:CoralBay  #Poetry  #Nature  #Ocean  #WAWriter  #WAPoet  #ReadingPoems

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Sharing Africa.

© Sean Austin posted this photo on Facebook today, with these words:

“The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire…”

2015 © Sean Austin

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #AfricanSunsets  #AfricaMyHome  #POEM:AfricanSky   #1968Notebook  #Elephants  #Sunset  #Poetry

 

 

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Husbands, Divorce, 30 Years on…

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #PoetryPostcards  #Poetry  #Postcards  #Love   #Romance  #Flowers

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The White Gate

Lynne Leonhardt © 2015

 

The White Gate

The path is Agapanthus strewn

freedom for women colours;

green and purple heads bob

in the Freo Doctor, interrupted

by blossoms which match the gate.

 

Hung upon squat solid upright stone,

it swings inwards, inviting entry

to this secret garden, lusted with

love, Christmas feasts, familial

fecundity, rapturously shared.

 

Reluctantly closed until next year…

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2015

#LynneLeonhardt  #POEM:TheWhiteGate  #Poetry  #Nature  #PerthWriters

 

 

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Poetry Postcards: Rain

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #PoetryPostcards  #PP:Rain  #Nature

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Poetry Postcards: A Crowd

@FrancesMForde  #PoetryPostcards  #PP:ACrowd  @Nature  @Flowers  @Daffodils

 

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Rhinos

Busy doing my tax return and came across an unsaved (!) poem I wrote and submitted (some time ago) to be included in an anthology to raise funds for the preservation of Rhinos.

Harry Owen  the inaugural Poet Laureate for Cheshire (UK) in 2003, moved to South Africa’s Eastern Cape in January 2008, was the editor and now the book is published I shall put my order in.

Even though they didn’t use my poem I certainly want to support their very worthy cause.

Thandi

Imagine slow, deep heart beats

echoing inside a massive hide.

 

Slumberous half-blind grazing.

Open veld rare rhino protected.

 

Unaware evil stalks with intent.

Crack! Stinging rifle shot thrums.

 

Laboring body lumbers to escape.

Laid low, as deadly saw crudely

 

works on pointed bone bleeding

on Africa’s Skin.  Enough death,

 

illegal trade.  This is no noble

harvest to feed the starving poor…

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2012 

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New moon… New Month.

A pair (female on right) of Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos in my Jacaranda. Frances Macaulay Forde © 2007.

Those Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos ‘kissing’. Frances Macaulay Forde © 2007.

New Moon

 

Last night, a sliver of silver low on the horizon, above the sea;

The moon visible through the clear sliding door of my patio

but couldn’t wish on it, not through glass – bad luck!

 

So eyes-down  I opened the door, stepped out bare-feet on concrete 

past the patio setting, minding the balls Sonja has strewn

and stood, out in the cool (now Autumn) air and wished.

 

Can’t tell you what I wished for or it won’t come true – it’s not for me.

I am lucky in love.  My family are healthy and happy, I have you.

All that I need.  So how could I possibly ask for more, for me?  

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2014

 

If you’ve got time, read more about these magnificent Carnaby’s but also, have a look at the best photos I’ve ever seen of them, up close, taken by Grace and posted on Perth Daily Photo today.

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Boxing Kangaroos

Photo: G.Forde © 2014

My very clever brother has written some more music to his  videos of  Kangaroos Boxing  in the early morning,  taken at a nearby park and blogged on  Perth Daily Photo.

Western Australia has preserved ‘green belts’ so kangaroos (and other fauna) can roam from one feeding ground to another.

Those areas usually include a lake, providing natural habitats for our native flora and fauna – particularly in my region near Yellagonga Regional Park.  (Also the subject of a Picture Book I’m working on.)

We’re used to seeing kangaroos around but know not to go near as they are deceptively cute and can be very dangerous.

Those strong back legs are used to rip open the stomach of their opponent while they rest on that ‘third leg’ – their extremely strong tail!

Driving from the city, just before turning off the freeway for home at sunset, we often see a ‘mob’ feeding near the access tracks on the left.

While studying at University I sometimes attended lectures at our local ECU campus here in Joondalup which also was regularly visited by a local ‘mob’.

 

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Cockatoo Chorus

 

Artwork: Jessica McCallum © 2000

Although actually written at university and included in my chapbook  ‘Return of Rainbows’, this poem was first published in ‘Peace & Freedom’ Magazine,  in London, 2001 with my daughter’s artwork.

Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos  are a highly endangered species of native birds only found in Western Australia.  Because of us, these noisy birds who possibly mate for life and can live 40 – 50 years, are in great danger.

Later the poem was included in my first book  ‘Hidden Capacity ~ a poet’s journey’  published in Cork, Ireland in 2003.

COCKATOO CHORUS

“We’ll meet in the eucalypts down by the lake.

Discussion is needed – you have to partake!”

Black clouds flew from the oval, park and golf club

to raucously weigh down trees out in the scrub.

“Juicy larvae and insects prove harder to find

all the spraying and logging – ground being mined

has taken our homes, our gathering sites.

Together, in numbers we’ll fly up for our rights.”

.

From once sacred ground now suburbs, they flew.

From gum-tree nesting hollows, so precious and few

hundreds gathered early, in loud morning debate –

the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo parrot’s fate.

Discussed at great length in the eucalypt trees

for young; less food, meant less ability to feed.

“Stop clearing, spraying – playing with our lives!

If we die, what hope have you got, to survive?”

.

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2000

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