Life in the present tense

Below is a poem written yesterday, Sunday May 3rd, whilst I was attempting some quiet Quaker reflection in a wet walk to Ben Buckler at the north end of Bondi, followed by a coffee or two in a very unquiet cafe. On Saturday we had a fabulous trip to the Blue Mountains and whilst we were eating our lunch we heard ' Time to Say Goodbye' on the C D player, which made us all, immediately, think of my cousin Sue's funeral. Loss and separation, goodbyes and hasta la vistas are emerging as a bit of a theme, I see, in my poems!

This poem is for Sue, and for Lyn's friend Annie and Susan's sister Linda, with love

Life in the present tense

Decaf skinny flat-white
Twice, in the noise and chat
Of families, friends met
In the Sunday café
Speedo’s, North Bondi Beach
And me, thinking, alone

Of 'Time to say Goodbye’
Sue, gone too soon before
The wonder of Freddie,
And others, now leaving
Fate having chosen them
At random, I suppose

As flies to wanton boys
All lottery and chance
Or god playing dice, eyes
Blindfold? Choose for yourself
Philosophy of Death
Life in the present tense

No rewind button or
Fast forward, how it ends,
Here and now all we have
To light our way, living
To avoid if only
That saddest word- regret

Lily's Song

This poem was written whilst I was travelling to Coff's Harbour to meet up with my school friend Jen, for what was to prove a wild and blustery short stay at South West Rocks, near Trial Bay, which is stunningly beautiful. Back at Jen' house I again read her book about Gerard Manley Hopkins, whom she studied at school and had introduced to me (who had to make do with yet more Wordsworth...) There are echoes of Hopkins' lines in my poem. My visit to Armidale inevitably took me down Memory Lane, especially spending time with Jen's lovely mum. She did not want to be told that she is still, in her nineties, 'lovely', but it is true. She remarked, somewhat bemused, that I 'hadn't half changed since I was a girl'! That will be the 4 children, 3 grandchildren and 45 years, I thought....

Thank you Jen, for our 50 years of friendship- come September; and Alan, still so caring and warm; and Brendan for being such a credit to his family as a Young Life worker, plus funny and interesting too.

This poem is dedicated to Lily, the most wonderful granddaughter anyone could wish for. I think, after talking to her about her current reading that she may understand more of this poem than I first thought, although she is still only 10.

Lily’s Song

I saw this morning, Morning Glory
Indigo splashing on Bondi wall
Memory’s eye clicked and locked it in
Saved with same, convolvulus climbing
Rampant over Keralan hillside
Blue as the picture book butterflies

Lone traveller, my poem drops on
Boarding pass, Quantas to Coff’s Harbour
Through ten shades of blue where ocean ends
And sky begins, remembering Pied
Beauty, Hopkins’ Glory Be To God
Astonishing quite my schoolgirl self

I think of Lily, beloved child
Each morning’s sun and evening star
Growing in beauty, her spirit free
In a French landscape, to soar and fly
Grounded in love, a fragile blossom
Still, tightly I hold her in my heart

A poem for Mandy and John

This poem was inspired by a lovely 3 days we spent with the Labram family in Yackandandah, just after Easter.

No Boxing Kangaroos

Labram’s hill, Yackandandah
Early morning sketching
No boxing kangaroos
But birds glorious in technicolour
Crimson rosella, lorikeets
Honeyeaters, nature’s gaudiest on show

End of summer autumn tints
And fearful drought’s dire signs
Tall trees felled, grass burnt brown
Victorian landscape in Indigo Shire
Our English friends at home here now
Welcoming us, visiting your new lives

Gold rush history, cottage
In the country township
Speak of settler hardship
Flat whites on The Bakery’s sunlit porch
A forest walk to Woolshed Falls
Then stunned by sunset over sacred rocks

How much you have gained, making
This move, from crowded streets
A world away, England
To blue skies land, with space for all to breathe
For boys to run and spirits grow
Freely, wild and lovely, Australia

Dreams from my father



Lunging through grey waters to Kangaroo Island

Southern Ocean’s jewel, last stop Antarctica

I think of time and place and separation’s pull

And journeys made in tears and hope



My father an ambitious Scot set forth one day

With never a backward glance nor grief for family

Dreaming, I suppose, of making his life anew

But stopped abruptly, meeting love



Another now turned sixty settled long ago

To raise a family where eucalyptus reigns

Beneath the Southern Cross at night, his world upturned

But yearns for England’s soft rainfall



Tread softly now for baby Isaac sleeps and dreams

His doting parents present joy and future hope

From the Solomon Islands, England, Adelaide

Forbears travelling, meet in him

Last weekend we all went to Adelaide for a wonderful weekend with my cousin Martin and his family, celebrating the wedding of his second daughter Kelly, to Dustin. Also there were Martin's sister Marilyn and- big surprise for the bride, Marilyn's son Tony, over in Oz for a long weekend! Jodi - Kelly's sister- was there as a bridesmaid, and we had a chance to meet up with her lovely month old baby Isaac. We all had a great time with what felt like real family across the globe. The vows exchanged by the couple were hilariously funny and very personal to them. A very special time, all in all.

Afterwards Andy and I went to Kangaroo Island for 2 days, which is a real gem, with lots of wild life and beautiful white sand beaches. Really excited to see koala close up, and an echidna trying to hide from my camera.

Photos of weekend in Wayamba

So proud of Lily and her aunty Rosie too

News from home whilst we were in Wayamba, out of mobile range, that Lily's drama group's production of Fiddler on the Roof was brilliant and that we would have been so proud of Lily. Well done Lily! Rosie meanwhile was doing fantastically well with her acupuncture practical exams. We are so pleased that she has passed so well and is now set for Yr 3 and for a future as a 'great practitioner'.

Just been for a walk to Tamarama Beach with Zach riding high on Grandy's back and with cousin Marilyn. Glorious blue sky day again, for Grandy's birthday, lovely.....

A poem for Donald and Rosie

Weekend at Wayamba

On the lawn’s margins a blue wren
And his dowdy mate, farthing birds,
Patter, bob, cock their heads and fly
Friday at four, we’re home to Wayamba

Angophora said Rosie, not gum
Stringy Bark Iron Bark Grey Gum
Peeling to glorious orange
Countless giants under deepest sky blue

A place of story book wonder
At the end of the trail, tin roof
Half hidden, verandah spread wide
For shelter and shade, for peace and retreat

You toil in your garden with love
For this land, teach me of wattle,
Eustraphus called wombat berry
Fruiting bright yellow like the robin’s breast

We walk and we talk, stopping here
To pull up Flea Bane, a war
Without end on the forest floor
As distantly the clever lyre bird calls

Mice in the cupboard, goanna
Lumbering by, Zach’s on the roam
So we’re all keeping watch, old friends
Together under Australian skies

See what you started, dear friends
Worlds away that April Sunday
Children and grandchildren, our lives
Together, we give you thanks and our love


For Rosie and Donald, 30th March 30, 2009

Another special message for Lily with a word for Luca too

Hi Lily. I just read your lovely comment about a scientist in the family and have posted a comment back to you. I expect this week you will be just too busy to answer my blog but I wanted to send you all our very best wishes from Grandy and I for the Fiddler on the Roof performance. We both so wish we could be there to see you and I so hope that Rosie or Jay or Mummy or Seb will be taking video of it. Grandy just came in singing 'If I were a rich man....' and if we were rich we would fly home to see you then bring you back out with us.... Still you do have SATs to do, don't you?! Oh dear. Grandy is very excited about you and science. 

I heard from Rosie that Luca is saying lots of words now and I heard him clearly say 'Butterfly' which is one of his favorites, bless him. Can you pass on a message to him and tell him Granny sends him a butterfly kiss. You know how to do those don't you! I bet you will be exhausted by the weekend won't you. We are going to visit another beach today to meet up with Hayley's friend Lucy and her baby Tilly who is the same age as Zachy. I am writing this whilst Zachy is asleep because once he is awake you can't take your eyes off him! He zips about non-stop finding things to investigate which he shouldn't .....lots of love and a big hug xxx

Poem for Jodi, my friend found on Facebook

ForJodi

See you here now, twelve years on

In your stripey sun hat waving

With stroller and Daisy and Mae Rose

Smiling as you walk out of our past

Another country where you

A girl, I a working mum

Passing, as I left our school you came

But instant friends across age's divide

Traces of you left behind

Words in my notebook, photo smile

So both of us not quite forgotten

As babies were born and oceans were crossed

A magical moment in

Melbourne's blue skies city square

Touching our lives together again

Lost and found, my special Facebook friend

More glorious days in Sydney

We have still been enjoying fabulous weather here as you will see from the deep blue skies. Yesterday Weds 18th we went to the Icebergs swimming pool which is sea water fed at high tide from the bay. It is as you will see in the most wonderful setting and it is situated just at the top of Dan and H's road. Zach had his first swim in his speedo orange ring and really loved it. 

Today Thursday we have been - Zach and Andy and I- to gymbaroo with some other little tykes. Zach most enjoyed scrabbling away from the group and into the store cupboard, so Granny got lots of exercise running after him. Also had to lie on my back and wave Zach in the air on my legs- can you picture the lovely scene?! So glad some weight has been lost since my last visit here....Andy and I are off to Melbourne tomorrow at the crack of dawn, to do the Great Ocean Rd and also to catch up with Jodi,with whom I taught at St Barnabas twelve years ago. She now lives in Melbourne ( her home town) and has 2 little girls and she 'found' me a few months ago on Facebook.

Hi to Lily from Granny in Oz

Special little post today for Lily- I'm hoping her mum or aunty might alert her. Just to say Lily that Grandy and I really miss you and often think about how much you'd like to be in the sea here in Australia. You'd also love Zach very much just like you love that Luca-bug in Brighton. He is a very busy bee indeed, all day long, just exploring and climbing into cupboards and fiddling with things like the t v and plugs- everything he shouldn't be into really. He has such a cheery little smile too and goldy coloured curls. I keep trying to draw him but it is a bit hopeless because he won't sit still for me like you do! 

I wonder how school is going? Mum said the teacher was very pleased with you- that's good isn't it! How about rehearsals for Fiddler on the Roof- I bet you are all working really hard for that. I will be sorry to miss it but do hope Rosie will record you for me. If you read this, I do hope you will post a comment to me. No one else has left any comments so you would be the first. You could sign in as one of the followers too. Lots of love Lily and a big hug n kiss from me and from Grandy xxx

Saturday starts at 5 a.m for the Bondi Whittinghams..

An early start for us all this morning with the lovely lad, whom Granny thinks must be suffering with his toothy pegs. He is happy to start his exploring day even before sun-up though the rest of the team are rather less lively. Andy, Dan and I go for breakfast at the far end of the beach whilst Zach catches some more zeds back home - see photos of all the ultra fit folk running on sand ( for heavens sake!) and being vigorously drilled by barking instructors. Later - ooh, all of 10 a.m by now- we all go to Nielson's Park which is not for the impoverished of Sydney, Dan says. Have wonderful time frolicking inside the shark net with Zach who is truly a Whittingham water baby and giggles hysterically whilst slowly turning blue. Grandy does great job later of walking Zach to sleep in his Bugaboo so the rest of us have a few moments of down time. On the way home we see a wedding party and you can see from my photo why photographers love this place for the back drop. Suggest to Andy that we plan immediately for Vow Renewal just for the photo ops, and I will leave you all to imagine his response, ha ha. 

Back on form

Just in haste to say that after a couple of days of what our Indian friends call ' womiting' migraine, I am now relieved to feel much better. Thanks to Rosie for over-the-phone tips on pressure points. Roll on her being qualified is what we all say. A few photos - yet more of the small but beautiful boy investigating his environment - maybe a scientist in the family we wonder? 

Dan is dictating this post and suggests I start by saying I have at last recovered from my nasty vomiting migraine, after a visit to a nice Australian doc called Sally. Thanks to Rosie for her over -the- phone tips about points to apply pressure to. Could use some regular acupuncture for sure I think. Roll on Rosie being qualified we all say! All great here apart from that- though did realise I could write a small paper or novella about the countries of the world in which I have had migraine attacks! Other small (but lovely, of course,) problem is that little boy in the house thinks his morning getting up time is now 5.30, bless him.. So we've all enjoyed In the Night Garden this morning already, and as Dan says, rather more of each other than we would ideally like! Hoping today to go to Nielson Park for Saturday outing, if the mummy and daddy can wake up... More photos meanwhile of the most beautiful 11 month old in the Southern Hemisphere, up to mischief- or really just non-stop investigating his world. Do we have another scientist in the family at last? 

Photos of first days in Oz