GUEST POEM: Bit by Bit.

Photo Source here.

Marisa Wikramanayake  : “I’m a journalist, a writer and an editor. Well, actually, I write novels and attempt to survive doing so by having adventures and being a journalist and an editor.”

Take a look at her website where, among many interesting postings, most recently she has started doing videologs in support of Australian Women Writers.  I’ve just watched Robin Bowers’ interview.

This poem was posted on Facebook today and I loved it. (Naturally, I asked permission to post it here.)

Were you to break me down into my constituent parts,
Bit by bit,
Build me back up again with IKEA instructions but perfectly,
(I will give you an Allen key),
With each Lego piece in its spot,
Bit by bit,
There would be no place for love.

Oh, there would be a tinkertoy space here, some engine that whirled around,
That makes me good at all the grand gestures,
That would let me let you go if you were happier without me,
Without me blinking,
Because you are made of flesh and nerve endings that will hurt,
But I am made of blocks that can be broken down and rebuilt,
Bit by bit.
So I can withstand it.

But there is the space you would find surrounded by the Fabuland set,
That would be that space that doesn’t quite work,
Perhaps they discontinued that line a long time ago,
Bit by bit,
But it’s the space that makes me wake you,
At three am because I want to talk,
Makes me since I am a brick,
Quite selfish and quite thick,
No good at the small important everyday love,
Ever feeling that my part in any duo would not be enough,
It’s the space that will make me leave you behind,
While I chase things that intrigue my mind,
Where I will stand wondering why I am not the one to be in your part when I know how a gendered romance should go,
That openly states when and how I feel,
Because no one who hears believes it’s real.
It’s the space in me that makes me stubborn,
Want to break down your walls and lay you open.
Bit by bit,
To dissect you, pull you apart so I know how you work,
So I can love you the way you deserve.

And you deserve different, flesh and blood with nerve endings and all,
Not something, half real, built of bricks prone to break apart and fall.
I have built myself up to work like a machine.
Over the years,
Bit by bit,
For maternal, fraternal love,
For grand gestures because I can’t protect you enough,
But not at all adequately for the small love on which you’re keen.

– Marisa Wikramanayake, (c) 2015

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #MarisaWikramanayake   #GuestPoem   #WAWriters  #Community   #FavWriters  #Love  #Poetry  #RobinBowers

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Gathering Dawn: “Quiet”

I hear my world better

when there are no words

 

closed library eyes see

eddying images churn

before being controlled

writing a new narrative

 

It’s kind of safer than

letting reality intrude

 

chapters re-positioned

shaded recollections

able-body paradigm

altered to glimmer

 

I require the world to

turn on my direction

 

allowed in silence

truths register deep

interpolated origins

finally recognized

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2014

 

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #Quiet  #poem  #writing  #WAWriters

 

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Doors closing…

I learnt an embarrassing lesson yesterday; don’t rush!

I hit the ‘publish’ button like I would the ‘enter’ button – big mistake!  Unconcerned, I thought I’d just correct and ‘Update’ which, of course, I did in seconds.

Embarrassingly the preview of the blog post (goes everywhere!) stayed as the original un-edited version although when ‘read more’ was clicked, the corrected version appeared!

Lesson well and truly learnt!  Writing and posting when you’re tired or in a rush – just don’t do it!  I do sincerely apologize.

Hopefully I can make amends with a poem written before love returned to my life.

 

DOORS CLOSING

How often has the door closed on opportunity for me?

And how many times have I shut it?

 

‘Well, open it again.’ You say.  Not so easy

when it is wedged with prejudice.

 

Locked with lies about your femininity

and jammed with judicial errors.

 

I am an opportunist and I do believe

as one door closes, another… you know.

 

But sometimes, for my sanity, I take

the easy way out.  My heart’s the same.

 

I’m not brave in letting that door stand ajar.

The solid barrier protecting my comfort zone.

 

A jack-hammer wouldn’t be heard now!

I’m deaf to desire and numb to need.

 

The woolen blanket around my feelings keeps me warm.

I lock the door, pocket the key, work and love in secret.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2000

 

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #Poem  #LovePoem  #Poetry  #Romance  #ComfortZone  #Desire  #DoorsClosing  #Lessons

 

 

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“Meeting Mr X.”

Book 1 in my Short Stories series is “Meeting Mr X”  ‘Middlemarch’ re-imagined as an Australian Suburban story…

Ms Brown certainly lived up to her name in an unremarkable brown brick, unappealing brown-roofed house, amongst similar unprepossessing dwellings, surrounded by shrubbery rooted in brown mulch, found in a commonly named street that looked like many suburban others, indistinguishable from her neighbors. 

Consequently, she lived a quiet life not wishing to stand out like the man she observed from her back patio whom she had named Mr. X.

Because her land sloped down the hill from the back, she often watched those in other similarly quiet, ordered avenues nearby.  Mr X lived across the street behind her block, down the hill – the front of his house facing her backyard. 

Music blared, lights blazed and many people visited making Ms Brown wonder if he was one of those drug dealers or even a manufacturer, referred to in the local papers.  

She repeatedly heard doors banging, the screech of tyres on tarmac or horns blasted in farewell.   These inconsiderate ruffians frequently left the house which Mr. X occupied at all hours of the day and night, disturbing those who may be sleeping or, like herself, wishing for quietude.  

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2014

If you’d care to read the rest, you’re welcome to lend or buy a KINDLE copy of  “Meeting Mr X.”  directly from Amazon.

(Hope you do…)

 

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #McAlpineBellPublishing  #MeetingMrX  #KINDLEbooks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Return of Rainbows.

Still on the KINDLE kick, my latest upload (probably not available yet as still being processed) is another Poetry Chapbook ~ the third.

(I’ve just added two examples of poems from my ‘Love’  KINDLE uploaded over the weekend,  just like I did for my ‘Rail Tales’ blog post.)

‘The Return of Rainbows’ was also conceived at University as a mature-age student bloodied by life’s battles and as always, finding succor in words.

My seemingly audacious presence provided lots of  fodder to explore the constant challenges and effects of that experience on my life.

 

The Return of Rainbows

Driving down Alexander,

(early morning rush hour)

lecture on documentary film.

Eager for knowledge, I noted

low, broad bands of colour

spanning the sky above Uni.

Ignoring the grey clouds,

I welcomed the return

of rainbows to my life.

 

Instinct

There’s no place for love

at this time in my life.

I envy those who achieve

the balance of need.

 

Opportunities ignored

in the interest of safe-ness,

flying toward my ability’s

determined focus.

 

Children gone in their own

living-dreams direction,

lessons learnt and heeded.

My job’s complete.

 

Is this my way of avoiding

the ‘empty nest’  syndrome?

Gath’ring materials for comfort

as I settle into old age?

…

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2003

(I’m about to upload some short stories next.)

#ReturnOfRainbows #FrancesMacaulayForde #McAlpineBellPublishing

 

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Duelling Alison

Last week I attended a masterclass with illustrator Alison Lester.  So inspiring I totally forgot to take photos to share the experience (sorry) but have a look at her website and the wonderful 25+ books Alison has been involved in either writing or illustrating.

I came home with two beautiful books signed by Alison to my grandies:  Kissed by the Moon  was recommended for my 19 month old by Alison and Imagine with a sparkly cover things to do while we read, for my 5 year old.  

Kissed by the Moon #AlisonLester © 2014

Imagine by Alison Lester #AlisonLester © 2014

When I read each of these for the first time, I got shivers of sheer enjoyment from the beautiful illustrations and simple but so evocative wording – hard to do.

I confess, I was not aware of Alison before the class but I’m now a HUGE fan and intend to build a library of as many of her books as possible  for my grandchildren.

I consider no other gift as valuable as the love of books and like my children, my grandchildren already have an excellent collection of (especially but not exclusively) Australian writers.

Now they have two more treasures.

Our very active and totally encouraging local Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators:  SCWBI WEST volunteers, organised the Masterclass to be held on the same day as Duelling Illustrators.

No less than 6 illustrators took part, with three writers offering their unpublished manuscripts as the stimulus for furious flaying of arms around large sheets of paper.

An exciting and great fun, FREE event with standing room only.    If you missed this one, don’t miss the next event which happens once a year at the State Library in the Perth Cultural Centre – one of my all time favorite places to be.

SCWBI West members stayed back “Behind Closed Doors – a view from the Publisher’s desk” with Cate Sutherland  from Fremantle Press and Jane Godwin from Penguin Books.

Many lucky members left the next morning for a writers retreat held over last weekend on Rottnest Island,  just 14 Km off the coast of Perth.

Can’t wait to read the wonderful books which result, as they do every year.

If you’re a West Australian writer or illustrator – or talented enough to do both, I highly recommend you join in the fun and nurturing at  SCWBI West.

 

#SCWBIWest  #AlisonLester  #FrancesMacaulayForde #DuellingIllustrators

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Roadside Rubbish

It’s that time of year again (photo taken today).   Wish I’d taken photos last year, when I wrote this though…

 

Two Fans

 

Two fans enthusiastically spin amongst

a pile of rubbish waiting for pick up,

roadside.

 

Through wind and rain, even thunder

“Look at me!” but nothing moved.

Clever stack.

 

Unlike No 2’s plant pots. Scattered

colorful rattles voicing the gusts.

Messy!

 

Drive-bys;  inspection opportunists.

Recycling on a budget or business,

who knows?

 

Roadside shopping has rules. Don’t

muddle. Re-stack after inspection.

Carefully.

 

It’s bad manners to sort, scrounge,

accept or reject – pull apart, untidy,

then go.

 

 Frances Macaulay Forde © 2013

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Need inspiration?

Andrew Burke hosting Poet’s Corner, May 2008.

I’m shocked!  Andrew Burke has always seemed particularly inspired but wrote on a FB message to me that his writing “has stalled and needs a push start downhill, in gear – like in them good old days” ending with a smiley face.

It shocked and saddened me; I honestly can’t imagine that quick, witty, incisive brain NOT being inspired.  He’s always been such a  prolific poet  dabbling in many genres (even documentary)  inspiring and supporting others with his blog.

But first I got to wondering why…  As John Lennon once said “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”  A totally appropriate quote to use for Andrew because he’s an accomplished  writer, but very much a musician in his soul.

He even has a Wiki page!  (How do you get a Wiki page?)

I also discovered an e-book ‘Blue Rose’ on Smashwords which I have just purchased for a measly $4.99 (!) and because Andrew has inspired me (once again) I’ve joined the site to explore the possibilities for my own words.  (Thanks, Andrew.)

Often as writers needing the head-space to write,  life overwhelms us with what we HAVE to do.

Be selfish sometimes and take a moment to do what you NEED to do, too… we’ll all be better for it.

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