“Elephant Walk”

Artwork 2 of 4 from the ‘Play’ series, sketch in progress. 

Jessica McCallum © 2011

 

ELEPHANT WALK                                                                      

When I was a child

I remember thinking

that chain around

the elephant’s leg

wasn’t strong enough.

 

Elephants are tough!

If he wanted, he

could free himself just

by lifting that mighty foot

shaking the metal loose

and walking away…

 

Why does he stay?

 

No-one could stop him

If he chose to go,  take

his own path. No more

performance on command

– he could find some green.

 

Walk through jungles again!

 

Elephants are tough so

why does he stay, stroll

through sawdust, put up

with that lady who leans

into his ear, whispering…

 

It’s because he loves her.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2011

 Written to the art of Jessica McCallum for her 2011 Exhibition:  “All the pretty Ones Are… “

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #JessicaMcCallum  #ArtAsTheSpark  #AllThePrettyOnesAre  #AnimalArt  #ForTheLoveOf  #ElephantWalk  “ART:Play2  #Poem  #Poetry

 

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Silver Spun Sand

The Borrowers (Poetry Monthly)

 

An expedition, all the way to the top –

me, and my two year old; a picnic

by a covey of chattering pines…

 

Planted an oak, to stake our claim,

the day we moved in; the hill – ours,

hers and mine, plus a hundred acres of sky.

 

Dwarfed – our cottage, way below,

in the peach-tree dappled shade,

of a long-since tended orchard.

 

Bees – strum-hum in the clover,

and a skylark sings the many faces

of god and she sees dragons in the clouds.

 

‘Look!’ I say.  ‘There’s a ‘Meadow Brown’ –

a ‘Painted Lady’, but now – far too busy,

playing with her toys.

 

Tea-time – the wind is chill, so pick up

her bat and ball – her teddy; a book

I brought to read.  Fat chance of that!

 

‘Couldn’t we stay?’ she whines, as I lift her

to my hip.  Grubby hands reach out –

reluctant to leave…

 

grabs a tuft of budding vetch; purple

and white.  Gleefully, she brings it home –

as tiny flowers, shyly open

 

but the butterflies, the sun, the smell

of fresh-shorn grass, too much for us

to carry, and indeed, not ours to take.

 

Only on loan…the hill – the whole

of this.  The best I can do, is to promise

we’ll come again…maybe tomorrow,

 

but then…only if we give back,

what we borrow.

 

by

Silver Spun Sand on ABC Tales

 

@FrancesMForde  @FrancesMacForde  @francesMF  #SilverSpunSand  #ABCTales  #Poem #TheBorrowers

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The Light on the Stairs

A beautiful poem by Silver Spun Sand, otherwise known as Tina, on ABC Tales.

http://www.abctales.com/story/silver-spun-sand/light-stairs#comment-652487

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #SilverSpunSand  #ABCTales  #Poem  #FavWriters  #OtherBlogs  #Love

 

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The Bluebird

The Bluebird © Australian Ballet’s “The Sleeping Beauty” 2015 (from Facebook page) Photo: Kate Longley

The Australian Ballet

Page Liked · September 20 ·

“The magic of the Bluebird … The Bluebird Pas de deux is one of the definitive moments of The Sleeping Beauty – there can be no Beauty without Bluebirds! Principal Artists Ako Kondo and Chengwu Guo dance this sensational pas de deux in The Sleeping Beauty!” Photography Kate Longley

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  Sue Forde Coughlan Always a favourite: of many favourites… may I share my ballet poem? The Prima Ballerina

  She lives in a world of fairy tales,
  all fantasy, happiness and woe.

  Floating across the stage in tulle,
  fine silk or organza.,

  softly pirouettes through the mist,
  or dies upon the snow.

  This is the world of Ballet
  of the Prima Ballerina.

  So lithe and slim, so beautiful,
  so graceful and serene.

  On stage, supremely untouchable
  yet so frail behind the scenes.

  She’s the Queen of the ‘Corps de Ballet’,
  the star with the golden feet,

  dancing her way through ‘Petruska’,
  ‘Swan Lake’ or the ‘Nutcracker Suite’.

  The audience, transfixed with awe,
  watch silently, as in a dream,

  for gripped by suspense and beauty
  – such as they’ve never seen!

  They observe the scenery so real,
  the superbly made costumes,

  but their eyes are fixed on the ‘Bluebird’
  and all it’s fine blue plumes.

  And when the ballet is done,
  And encore after encore taken.

  And baskets and bouquets
  of flowers dispensed….

  There’s a feeling of despair and longing
  at the end of such unforgettable enchantment.

  Frances Macaulay Forde © 1968

  Like · Reply · 7 · September 20 at 10:30am

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Senses

Senses

hear

tender words
questions answers
your current reality

see

furtive glance
visual dance
clever hands and fingers

touch

tentative press
to shy flesh
still clothed in other loves

smell

breathe you in
where’ve you been
through all my loves and life

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2007

From my book “Hidden Capacity ~ a poet’s journey” published in Cork, Ireland, 2003

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #POEM:Senses  #Poem  #Ireland  #Romance  #Love  #ExploringPossibilities #HiddenCapacity  #Poetry  #Touch  #Sight  #Sound  #Smells  #Sensory  #SketchingInIreland  #WAWriter

 

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Boxes

‘City Scape’ FMF © 2003

 

Boxes

 

so much time

spent in boxes

hemming minds

hearts horizons

 

so many boxes

to spend time in

we choose

others dictate

 

boxes to play

or earn a living

sky-high mine deep

beach view asleep

 

boxed we’re born

returned again

bush delivery or

crispy clean

 

symbolic boxes

that drive insane

chasing a dream

others ideals

 

boxing all pleasure

imprisoning pain

impossible striving

material gain

 

in every life

the very last box

delivers a eulogy

all gather to see

 

illustrating a life

lived in boxes

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2009

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #POEM:Boxes  #Poem  #ART:CityScape  #Trapped #CityBoxes #BoxLikeHouses  #Poetry  #CitySkyscrapers  #Boxes  #Limited  #Existance  #LivingInBoxes

 

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Live here on Sky

As a writer, I often Google or Bing my name “Frances Macaulay Forde” to see if there’s anything new I’m not aware of.

Nothing new, but I found a poem listed on the WAPoets website and 1st published in the Poets Union Inc. Anthology, 2006 “Sun and Sleet”.

Live Here On Sky

6th August 2005

A capsule of lighted hope lay in the deep black depths,
seven Russian submariners trapped on the Pacific floor.
Although “satisfactory” in their red striped white sub,
freeze as only hours of oxygen remain. Kursk memories

flood Moscow, but she pleads straight away for US
and UK Super Scorpios who help raise the vessel to rescue
depth – averting another disaster. But no one can help
the Discovery’s seven in their cocoon of light circling

our world in unending space. They wait in zero gravity,
remove foam chips, listen to Beatles and pray. The world held
a collective breath before touchdown as NASA remembered
the awesome, fiery power of Columbia’s broken tile.

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2006
‘Live Here On Sky’ ~ Published P65 – Sept 06 –
Poets Union Inc. Anthology 2006

 

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Cell Phones

MOBILES

 

Trendy shades that click to match.

Invisible.

Except for what looks like a hearing aid

turning us all into

business buskers barking at buildings.

 

And it’s natural to turn

when someone says ‘Hello’.

 

You even get a choice now.

Number display.

Answer or reject.

Interruptions.

(Blasted ‘Call Waiting’.)

Choose to ignore the insistent beeping

and inevitably

others can’t resist the burning question.

 

Favourite songs are ruined forever

by ringing interpretations.

 

Courtesy has gone out the window.

Lunch breaks deleted.

Performances interrupted.

Moving movie moments spoilt.

 

Availability questioned

by “This mobile is turned off”.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2001

(First published ‘Hidden Capacity ~ a poet’s journey’, 2003, Cork, Ireland.)

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #PHOTO:SunGazing  #POEM:Mobiles  #CellPhones  #Poetry  #HiddenCapacityFMF

 

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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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POEM: Umbrella Sea

Concept drawing from ‘Raincheck’ Exhibition © Jessica McCallum 2010.

Umbrella Sea

I look down

umbrella sea

snaking between

shiny metal towers

separate

still me

 

a strong wind

searching for red

among the grey

pushing risk

frisking

steering

toward decision

 

do I leap

air-dance Nike-like

raindrop  steps

merge the blue  

sky-reach

take a chance

with you

 

I am Luke

sky walker

sweet talker

calculated

risk taker

love maker

 

potential heart beaker

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2010

#FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #POEM:UmbrellaSea  #ARTIST:JessicaMcCallum  #EXHIB:Raincheck  #Poem  #Umbrella  #Love  #Heartbreak

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