Yesterday (Saturday1st May), I went to an amazing event, put on by friend and poet Colleen Moyne, where a group of poets/writers gathered together in Mannum, and boarded the boat waiting for us at Mannum Waters Marina, and we cruised the Murray River, looking for, and finding inspiration.
It had been many years since I’d been out on a boat and I felt at peace inwardly, as I rapidly wrote notes in the notebook I’d brought with me for the purpose. I wrote about the trees, the birds, the sky, the water, and the other people out on the water too. By the end of the two hour session, I already had a good start to a chapbook, with a photograph taken by another attendee lined up for the cover, and a title for the chapbook taken from Colleen being the name of the workshop she had put on – Words On The Water.
So this event has definitely woken up my mind to poetic possibilities, and this new little collection, which I’ll be working on today, for a while, and definitely tomorrow, for my Writer in Residence stint at Gallery 14 in Hamley Bridge tomorrow. I have written I think 5 or 6 poems already, from my notes, and there are still many words to be turned into poems as well as all of the words still floating around in my head from the great day we all had yesterday!
Being on the water, up close to it, and seeing Nature on the banks of the river – the trees, the birds, and the clouds up above, all lovely! I think Nature, being up close and personal to it, is an important thing for the poetic mind, I feel, for my poetic mind, anyway! Trees and I have a special relationship, and the birds are a part of that relationship too. All of us living our lives, but still connected in various ways …
Being there with other writers, most of of us, anyway, and most working with our minds, and pen and paper or laptops/mobile phones, I’m sure much great writing will have come from this day of inspiration. I know I enjoyed the words read out on the day!
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 
It sounds like a great day. The weather was beautiful. I am looking forward to hearing some of your poems, Carolyn.
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Yes, it was a lovely day, and then on the drive home Kay and I had a lovely chat about people we both knew from the harness racing industry, and I’d never known she was so heavily into the trots in her earlier times!
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Your wish is my command Marie! I’ve just finished a poem about one of things the people with the boat put in, which was feeding Raptors, and it was an amazing sight to see, all of these beautiful birds grabbing the raw chicken thrown for them, sometimes grabbing it mid-air, sometimes grabbing it before it sank into the Murray River, awesome! I never trust my balance (for good reason) so I didn’t go outside, but others did, and got some spectacular pictures!
I still got to see a great show from inside, and here is the poem I finished writing, from memory of the ‘show’ yesterday:
Rapacious Raptors?
Well the food was there
thrown just for them
And the audience waiting,
ready to stare.
Inside the boat, I waited
not trusting my balance,
but I watched it until
raptors all were sated …
I’d not name them greedy,
it would be unkind,
they’d flown to get there,
maybe were needy?
The show was something
I’d never expected
the sight of those birds?
Not rapacious, but ravishing!
I name these creatures
on this cruise superb!
The winged brigade we saw?
One of many great features!
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Well I did indeed get more poetry happening today, while I was the writer in residence at the Gallery 14 cafe in Hamley Bridge. I think I added two more poems there, and am glad with that. I also sold three of my books, and donated part proceeds to the MS Society MS & NT, as I said I would to the lovely lady who bought the books. (I’d checked with Wendy, who owns the cafe first, if that was OK with her)
So for all of May, I will again donate part of any takings from sale of my books I’ll have there with me. So with the new poems written for my chapbook I’ve started working on, and with the book sales, and donation for my fundraising, it was a successful morning for sure!
And I had a lovely chat with Gloria (who bought my books), and her friends, and I let Gloria know that one of the books she bought is number one in a series, and there are 2 more already written that are available for purchase, with another book on the way. I also let her know I am at that cafe every Monday morning (except for public holidays).
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And today I’ve written what may be the final poem for my Words On The Water chapbook! I only have 10-15 more poems to write, and it’s ready! Haha! I get overly excited about words, sometimes (not that there’s anything wrong with that!)
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