Category: poetry

poetry, Story Ideas, Writing

Doing the Washing, Getting an Idea!

carolyncordon

Inspiration everywhere

Today was washing day – a fine day, with a bit of wind, some cloud, but lots of clear blue sky too. Yesterday was a day from hell, very strong winds from the north, picking up and carrying much dust from the dry paddocks all around the place.

It was lovely to wake up to a much more pleasant day today. I was involved in doing the washing today, sometimes Graham does most of it, sometimes I do, sometimes both of us do some, the other person doing the rest. It’s always my job to put it all away again, I’m not sure why, it just is.

As I was writing a Facebook post about doing the washing, with a photograph, I suddenly had an idea for a possible picture book. It involved the idea that the clothes we washed and dried, then put away again, ready to be worn another time, were actually alive, and had minds, and feelings.

How would they feel about being washed, hung up in the sunshine, then folded or hung up inside in the wardrobe. How would they feel about the various things that happen to them, how would they communicate with each other, and so on.

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Making Mundane More

This idea is in very early stages, but it feels like a lot of fun, and it may have a message that could be useful to pass on to young children about looking after their clothes, perhaps … Housework can do strange things to my imagination sometimes, there’s never a dull moment!

So what am I going to do with this idea? Am I going to turn it into a Picture Book, or not? The answer to that question is a thoughtful ‘Hmm, not yet’. At the moment, I have many, many writing things in various stages of completion, so won’t be working hard on this new idea, not yet.

I’ll go on thinking about it though, and when the time is right for this idea, I may well get it written and published. It’s such a fun idea to think about. Doing the washing is such a boring thing, sometimes. You wash the clothes, wear them a time or so, and then you have to wash them again!

 

But Wait, There’s More

Ideas are everywhere, and now that I’ve started to look at one housework chore in a fun way, what else could be a possible story idea? What about the shopping we buy, and bring into our homes? How might the ‘stuff’ we’ve had for ages feel if or when the various items are supplanted, their newness faded, and the interest from the human owners faded too?

image00000095In our household we’ve gone through various coffee making methods over the years, for instance. From instant coffee, to French Press (called Plunger Coffee in Australia, where I live), to the new Aero Press, which is our newest coffee method (similar to plunger coffee, but slightly different). What might the old Plunger Coffee device think of the new, quicker Aero Press? Would there be anger, fear, jealousy? We still use both, and I sometimes might have a cup of instant coffee too, from time to time. What might the coffee devices think about that one?

 

Making the Old New Again

See, thinking about various ordinary things can take you on interesting journeys. Books for children can be interesting that’s for sure – kids are more willing to think about things in fun ways, because to a child, everything, is a possible toy, or something to do new things with. Children haven’t had the ‘creative fun’ parts of their brains ground out yet, they are always willing to think about things in ways us old folk won’t bother with.

Being old, and having ‘seen it all before’ can lead a person to cynicism, and that can be dangerous if you’re a writer, or really for us all. If we turn our mind away from the fun possibilities in all of life, then life will be boring!

image00000084I certainly don’t want to live a boring life, I want to do fun things, and find interest in the things I do, all of the things, if that’s possible, and it nearly always is possible! When you can look at life and see new possible ways to do things, life can keep on being interesting to you, and hey, isn’t that what it’s all about, having an interesting life? I think so, what do you think?

poetry

Gawler Poets at the Pub – Poetry Reading

carolyncordon

Where I was today

The poetry workshop and reading had only few people present, some poets, and only one audience member, who wandered into and out of the room. One of the poets said she wasn’t a poet, but a children’s book writer, but she was there, and she wrote new poetry at the workshop. She is a poet, now, if she wasn’t one before!IMAG0530

Poetry gets written, and read, hugs and love, no ego, just the love of words, and friendship, this is how poetry can extend us all, writing and appreciating poetry, understanding the importance of words, and of friends and friendships. Egos left behind, and so it all went well, no-one grandstanding, just words written, read, heard, responded to, and loved.

Good food, and drinks, a cosy room in a lovely venue (Prince Albert Hotel), and so good things came for all in attendance, with hopes the good times continue for all afterwards. Knowing all may not be there the following month, but hoping to catch up again another time, if not at the next Gawler Poets at the Pub meeting, on the last Sunday of the month, every month.

 

What we did

This monthly poetry reading has been going for over twenty years in Gawler, a small town in South Australia, close to the premier wine growing region – the Barossa Valley. The poetry events have changed over the years, changed venue, changed added extras, and the people running the event have changed.

I’ve been a constant there for around seven years or so, and I am thrilled with the way this great event is getting better and better. The numbers of attendees isn’t high, but the quality of the poetry always is. We have developed a range of parts that are remaining the same, and as they are going so well, they probably will remain the same.

We have writing related workshop in the morning, usually writing related, but that could change, if something else seems that it may be interesting, to the sort of people who attend the afternoon event. That event is a poetry reading.

We usually have  guest writer, usually but not always a poet, who often is the person who did the morning workshop. That guest writer is asked to provide 5 words from their latest book, if that is relevant. Then those five words are told to attendees, and who are given ten to fifteen minutes to write something, often a poem, and then to read their own new piece of writing. The guest writer is asked to pick the best piece of writing read, and that person will receive a bottle of wine as their prize. This wine is donated by the hotel, which is the venue for this poetry event.

Once that fun event is over, the guest writer then read from their own work for ten to fifteen minutes. Then, depending on numbers of people present, poets are able to put a gold coin donation in a tin, and they can then read their own poetry out to everyone else for two or three minutes. If there is a good sized number of attendees, we will have a break after a number of poets have read, then have a short break to top up drinks, and chat, buy books, and so on.

 

Value in sticking with the team

The hotel is also where our writing group holds its weekly meeting, where some of us dine at, or drop in for coffee and cake occasionally. We have a good relationship going with the management of this hotel, one we have managed to maintain through several changes in managers over the years.

Because we have been supporting those in charge of this particular venue, they can see it is worthwhile helping us with the various things we do. The writing group I run, as President, Adelaide Plains Poets, is involved in this event. The writing group that holds meetings at the hotel every week, is a part of that larger group, and it all goes together well.

Another group member, the treasurer, is also a regular member of the monthly workshop/poetry reading. He carries the heaviest things we bring along every time, while I bring along some lighter pieces …

The main part of these ‘things’ is books. We both new or near new books that we offer as first prize for the raffle we always hold at this event, and we also have ‘classic’ books, certainly not new, but usually previously loved books, that may be of interest to the writers there. Attendees are encouraged to look through these books, and take away (for free) any they are interested in.

These books are kindly donated to us by a sponsor, one who has helped our group for many years. It is a lovely woman, Ally, who has a bookshop, just a little way away, and we are tremendously thankful to Gawler Books for that help they give us.

 

The love of words

All of us there at these events love words. We are readers, writers, poets, and our love of words brings us all together beautifully well. Some groups suffer from clashes between people with big egos, but so far, we have avoided any of that kind of thing. I certainly consider these people to be my friends, not competitors, and I love being involved in something that brings together others who hold the same views.

I first began attending the Gawler Pets at the Pub event when it was run by an icon of the town of Gawler, a man named Martin Johnson. He and his life partner did a fine job in getting interest in this event, but he eventually decided he was ready for a change. I’m glad I was able, with two friends, to take over the event.

Those friends moved on to  other things, or moved too far away, and I’m thrilled Alex Robertson, from the writing group, wanted to get involved in the poetry reading fun! Another relatively regular attendee is a wonderful poet and photographer, who takes beautiful photographs of people at the poetry reading.

Martin Christmas is his name, and I am thrilled to count this clever person as one of my dear friends. Martin is helping many people involved in such poetry related events in Adelaide and beyond, keeping a poetic record on who and what goes on.

 

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If you do anything similar to this event, or would like to know more, please leave a comment or message here!

 

poetry

My First Judging Role

carolyncordon

I am in the middle of my first judging appointment ever. I have been on the other side of things before, as the competition secretary, who then hands the poems onto the chosen judge. But now, another ‘competition secretary’ has handed me the poems.

I can’t say too much about it all, at this point, but I’m enjoying reading the poets’ interpretation of the chosen theme, and looking at the various poetic bits and pieces that go into making a good poem. As a poet myself, I feel very much qualified for this role, I have been reading, writing, and listening to contemporary poetry for many years.

I will finish reading poetry on the weekend, then hand in my results. I look forward to the ceremony that will take place on Sunday week, when I will announce the winners, and get to meet them, and others who attend.

Every poem will have a comment from me, and I hope my efforts will be appreciated by the winners and everyone else involved. I’m loving this, poetry really lights up my mind and my imagination in many ways!

 

poetry

Month of Poetry Over

carolyncordon

The month of February was a wonderful month of poetry for me. I committed to writing a new  poem every day of the month of February. I didn’t actually write a new poem, as it turned out, but I did make up for it, by writing a new poem for the couple of days I missed. So the end result was that I did indeed write 28 poems, inspired by prompts given by a small group of poets.

These poets, organised a similar event in 2018, and I think they are planning the same thing for 2020. These lovely people were doing the same challenge, or as near as they were able to. It isn’t easy, to live a busy life, and do writing challenges like this at the same time, particularly if there are hungry children in the household, and it’s your task to keep them fed.

I’m not in that position, the only hungry creature I have to feed is our dog, and feeding Missy only involves giving her the correct amount of dog food, simple. Feeding children involves far more than that, that’s for sure. I suspect there is a poem in that, perhaps I’ve just given myself a poetry prompt?

Let me see …

Yes, not a clever poem here, but a new one, and written in a particular style, one I made up myself, quite a few years ago. I named this poetic style after myself, and called it the Cordonostic style of poetry. It’s one based on syllable counts, in this manner – first stanza, first line 3 syllable, second line 5 syllables, third line 7 syllables

Second stanza first line 7 syllables, second line 5 syllables, third line 3 syllables, third stanza first line 3 syllables, second line 5 syllables, third line 7 syllables, and so on for as long as you like. The poem I have written is not the most poetic example, but it will give you an idea on how it all goes.

 

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Why I have time for poetry

 

 

Feed the dog

dog food, scoop it up,

into her bowl, put bowl down –

 

eat it up Missy, good girl!

She chomps it all up

just like that!

 

Now, outside,

toilet break, back in –

never-ending tasks, daily.

 

She really is a good girl,

our dear Missy dog,

ageing now

 

getting grey,

older, and slower

but she’s still our lovely dog –

 

elegant, funny, hunter

a friend for us all –

canine pal.

 

Feeding kids,

and adults though, takes

more time. Something different

 

needed for evening meal

each day of the week.

Mother’s job

 

as a rule

even nowadays,

even if you’re a poet …

 

 

 

 

 

 

poetry

A Happy Coincidence

carolyncordon

Today was a pretty full on day, with weather that acted against doing too much. I have a chronic illness that means I am particularly badly affected by being too hot, and the summer we’re having at the moment in my part of South Australia is hot, perhaps the hottest ever, or at least since Australia was settled by white people.

When you know what your limitations are, you learn how to deal with them , so that’s what I did, I spent a minimum of time outside in the heat, staying inside as much as possible, where it was nowhere near as hot, then drove, in my air-conditioned car, to

Anyway, I got to the usual writing group venue in plenty of time, but I hadn’t had time at home to write my poem for the day, the final poem for the #poemadayfeb I have been doing for all of this month, even though, I’d looked up what the word for today and so knew it was ‘yourself’.

Others arrived at the meeting, we went through the usual items, telling of our writing related activities for the previous week, talking about some relevant issues relating to several events we will be involved in, for the coming months, and then doing our writing exercise.

The writing prompt for today was ‘night’, and I eventually settled down to do my writing, based on that them, but without any real idea on what I was going to write. In the back of my brain, I had my poetry prompt, as mentioned, and together with that was the writing prompt from today’s meeting.

So, ‘yourself’, and ‘dark’, were possibly travelling around in the back of my brain, what would happen? As it turned out, a lovely small poem happened.  This unexpected poem is a senryu, another Japanese poetry form, similar to the haiku, but about people, rather than nature.

I’m relatively happy with this small poem, and the others at the writing group though it was a good one too. I love the people in this group, we share our words with each other, but there is so much more to it. We may have begun as people who write, but we have become friends, ones who care about each other. If you have a writing group too, I hope you have such lovely experiences.

Anyway, this is my senryu:

 

Every night leads

to a new day, a new chance

to be yourself.