Sally Murphy's Blog, page 20

Poetry Friday: Lurkers and Liquid Wonder

In case you’ve not noticed, I have been taking every opportunity to get into the water and snorkel.   In spite of my  great love of the beach and of swimming, until last year, I had never been snorkelling, and so it is a fresh, exciting hobby.

This week, I got up early and went for a pre-work dip at Omeo Wreck,  one of my favourite spots. Great for a beginner like me, but also always something new.   I spotted a  spotted leatherjacket and followed it for a while. When it stopped under a little arch of wreckage, I took the opportunity to practice my new diving skills, took a breath, aimed my gopro and swam down.

I knew I had the fish in shot, but it wasn’t till later, at home, that I was able to check it. I then took a still shot from the footage, and shared it with friends on facebook. I’m glad I did – because a friend pointed out something I had missed. I wonder if you can see it in the moving footage – which is the view I had in the water:

Did you spot it? The photobombing lurker? If not, don’t feel bad – because I didn’t see it either.
Here’s the still shot:

copyright Sally Murphy, 2021

If you still can’t see it, look  at the sand on the right. Sand with eyes? And a sinister grin?

Now I don’t know if Mr Flathead was thinking of eating Ms Leatherjacket for dinner, and I  can reassure you that when I left, the leatherjacket was still very happily swimming around, but I knew there was a poem in this.

Welcome

Come right in!

Come right in!

You’ll feel welcomed

By my friendly grin.

Can’t see my smile?

You soon will

When I open wide

To let you in!

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

Not to be outdone, my follow-up trip the next morning proved to be even more amazing, though I have not yet captured the poems for this breathtaking octopus encounter:

At the end of this video, you might sense that, while awestruck by the octopus, I was being increasingly aware of what was happening behind it. I spent the next 15 minutes floating and wondering and nearly crying with the joy of this:

I’ve been trying ever since to find the words to capture these amazing moments, so watch this space.

In the meantime, today’s Poetry Friday has lots of Poetry Goodness. Swim over to Heidi’s blog where, she is not only hosting the roundup but also  all the Poetry Friday posts but also celebrating her birthday.

Poetry Friday: Hounds and Birds

Yesterday I had a visiting hound for a few hours. Sos is a big, gentle greyhound, and spent much of the visit sleeping on my loungeroom floor while I worked nearby. At one point, though, a noise made me look up and I laughed to see Sos  running in his sleep. His legs twitched back and forth, his tail straightened and I swear he was smiling.

Sos  was here while his owner was off working, so I’m convinced he was dreaming of  going home and having his daily walk. When Is napped this photo a little while later, I knew I had to caption it,  with a poem.

Dreams of home, dinner

and morning walks play through mind

of a sleeping hound.

(poem and photo copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

It was only later that I realised I was writing to the same theme as last week’s post where I wrote about echidna’s dream. Perhaps I am slightly obsessed with sleep at the moment?

Something else I am obsessed with is getting poetry out into the world and into the hearts and hands of readers. So I am delighted that today’s Poetry Friday host, Kathryn Apel, has a brand new book out this week: The Bird in the Herd.

When I saw the title of this book, the rhyme just wouldn’t let me go, and I wanted to play with it. This is for you, Kat:

Have you heard

about the Bird in the Herd?

The Bird in the Herd

is good I’ve heard!

So spread the word

about the bird

the bird in the herd

now that you’ve heard.

And, as I played with birds and herds and words, I also started singing, because it reminded me of this song. If you haven’t heard it for a while, you are welcome for the ear worm I am about to give you:

Congratulations Kat for your new book baby!

You can head over to Kat’s blog to learn more about The Bird in the Herd, and to see the Poetry Friday roundup  Muster.  Have a wonderful Friday!

A Book-Birthday

Happy birthday to you

Happy brithday to you

Happy birthday dear Do Not Forget Australiaaaa

Happy birthday to you!

Yes, one of my book-babies is having a birthday today. It’s nine years since Do Not Forget Australia was first published. If you haven’t read it, it’s a picture book telling the story of an amazing connection forged between a French village and the people of Australia during World War 1, a friendship that continues more than 100 years later.

Satisfyingly, the book is still in print – and you can find it online here (or ask your local bookseller to get it in for you). If you are a teacher, there are teaching ideas here and here and also here.

And here’s a photo of me, lucky enough to visit the school in Villers-Bretonneux on Anzac Day three years ago, the hundredth year following the battle of Villers-Bretonneux.

I do love a book birthday, especially when the book has stayed in print, available to young readers. Happy Day!

 

 

February Reading

I’m still adjusting to it being a new year, and yet two months are now over. This means it’s time to share my  reading list for February. I managed 19 books back in January and anticipated that I would get less read in February, because it is a busy month in my day job. And, although I was right, I was pleased that I still managed to get through 17 books as well as a lot of work-related reading and research.

10 of these were for children/younger readers but, as I say often, books for children are for adults, too – and I recommend everybody takes the time to read one of these books from time to time, to keep in touch with your inner child and to see the quality writing.

Anyway, here’ my list – mostly linked to an online bookseller to provide further deatiks, but do remember to support your local bookshop when you can.

Books for Children (and adults, too!)

 Motormouth, by Sherryl Clark (Puffin, 2010). Not the first time I have read this one – or even the second. I really love Sherryl Clark’s verse novels, and love to dip back into them regularly. Motormouth is about friendship and grief, and telling lies.

2. When We Say Black Lives Matter, by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Lothian, 2020). This picture book took my breath away from the moment I saw it on the bookshop shelf. I knew of Clarke’s work for adults, but did not know she had written this, nor that she was also a talented illustrator. This book tells the child reader (but also readers of all ages) in clear, lyrical language exactly why we need to keep saying, singing, and  shouting that black lives matter.

3. Bindi, by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffner (Magabala Books, 2020). Another verse novel and a really lovely one. Winner of the Daisy Utemorrah Award, which aims to grow Indigenous writing for young readers, it is clear to see why this book was a winner, and why it is likely to be recognised with further awards. Exploring climate, bushfires and healing, and set in Gundungurra Country, a special feature is the use of Gundungurra words, which appear naturally in Bindi’s first person narration and, in context,  are easily accessible, but also supported by a glossary. A really special book and, since I read it, listed as Notable book in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards.

4.  A Different Dog, by Paul Jennings (Allen & Unwin, 2017).  I had missed this one when it came out in 2017, but read something last year that inspired me to track down a copy – and then, no longer sure where or what I read about it, it sat in my to be read pile until now.  I’m glad it finally made it’s way to the top of the pile. A fairly quick read about a boy, a dog and an adventure, but with typically Jennings’ style twists.

5. His Father’s Eyes, by Ali Cobby Eckermann (Oxford University Press, 2011). Continuing my trend of reading any Australian verse novels that I have, until now, neglected, I managed to track down a copy of this one, published as part of OUP’s ‘Yarning Strong’ series. I’m glad I did. It is beautifully crafted, telling the story of Declan, as he navigates his identity, the first year of highschool, and the challenging times his best mate is facing. At the same time, we learn of his father’s story of being stolen as a young child, and its long lasting impact.

6. Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll  (Audible Edition). Not the first time I’ve read this one, either, but it’s always interesting to revisit a classic. A free download from Audible,  I liked the performance, by Jodie Comer, and the escapism of reading this after some serious (though very good) nonfiction reading.

7. Lullabies for Bedtime, by Katrina Germein, Phil Cummings, Susan Betts, Kerry Brown, Louise Pike, Mike Dumbleton, illustrated by Doris Chang (Little Book Press, 2017).  Very few books  of poetry for children are published in Australia (which is a very great shame), so whenever I hear of one, I buy it. Somehow I’d missed this, but a writer friend mentioned it recently, and now I own a copy. As the title suggest, this is a book of gentle rhymes suitable for bed time reading to young children. They are lyrical and soothing and a pleasure to read aloud, accompanied by similarly soothing illustrations.

8. Short, by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Scholastic, 2017). From my TBR pile, and I’m not sure how long it has been there, or how it got there. Julia is short, and not happy about that. When her size leads to her being cast as a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz, she is initially very reluctant. But as the summer progresses she finds not just her talents but also an eclectic group of friends. A tender read.

9.  Iceberg, by Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft (Allen & Unwin, 2021). There are not enough superlatives to explain how much I adore this picture book. Creative nonfiction, it follows the life cycle of an iceberg and all the life around it using poetic prose which sings to the reader and is accompanied by sumptuous illustrations, including a wordless fold out spread filled with sea life.  The author, Claire, is a friend, but this is not why I adore this perfect book so much.

10. Footprints on the Moon, by Lorraine Marwood (UQP, 2021).  My fifth and final verse novel for the month. It is always a treat to read Marwood’s work, and this is no exception. Set against the backdrop of the first moon landing and the impacts of the Vietnam War, and exploring family, friendship, grief, courage and more.

Books for Young Adults

Sink, Drift or Swim, by Michelle Dennis Evans (Breath of Fresh Air Press, 2017) . A verse novel I  had not come across before.  Rina is navigating her first crush, and the impending arrival of a new sibling, but when her father invites her on a boating trip she knows she must go.  What follows is a terrifying twenty four hours where her father, and his Christian faith, are what gets her through.

2. Butterfly, by Sonya Hartnett (Penguin, 2009). I first read this only a year or so ago, and somehow it ended up back in my to be read pile. When I picked it up I decided it was there for a reason, and reread it. I love Hartnett’s work, and this one is no exception. Plum is an almost fourteen year old who has a lot going on as her birthday approaches – friendship problems, body image problems and strained family relationships too.  I’m not sure I ever come to like Plum, who is difficult throughout, but I do empathise with her and that is enough to make me want to know more.

 

Fiction for Adults

Crush: Stories About Love (Midnight Sun, 2017). I bough this collection when it was newly out, and my copy is signed by one of the contributors, Vahri McKenzie who, incidentally, supervised by PhD. But, though I had dipped in and read Vahri’s story, and a couple of others, the book had then sat on on my TBR pile ever since. I’m glad I finally took it out and read it. These are not typical romance stories – they are, as the story suggests, all about crushes. Requited, unrequited, fleeting, long lasting. So much to like and to digest.The Pact, by Thomas Kenneally (Audible, 2020). An elderly, but healthy, couple making a suicide pact is an unusual premise for a book which is a pleasant read, but I really did enjoy getting to know this couple, and am still thinking about them.

Nonfiction

Living on Stolen Land, by Ambelin Kwaymullina (Magabala Books, 2020). This is a book which every Australian should read and digest. Written in free verse the book is a manifesto. It explains the complexities of stolen land, of recognition of our first peoples, of education, of knowledge of connection to land, and, importantly of ways to use this understanding. the use of prose-poetry makes the text accessible and lyrical, meaning it could be read by children but is suitable for teens and adults.Chatter: The Voice in Our Head and How to Harness It, by Ethan Kross (Random House, 2021, also on Audible). I saw mention of Kross’s book somewhere in January, and knew immediately I needed to read this book. I listened to it on Audible as soon as it came out, and wasn’t disappointed. Kross unpacks why we have a voice in our head, and how it works against us. I also found the section on co-rumination really enlightening. I will listen to this one again, and will also be recommending it widely.  The Details, by Tegan Bennett Daylight (Simon & Schuster, 2020). This was recommended by a friend, a fellow reader. I’m glad.  This is a collection of essays, linked because they all relate to books and reading. A writer and academic, the author shares in some essays intimate insight into key moments in her life including the death of her mother, the births of her children and the subsequent impact on her health, and in other chapters, close looks at favourite authors including George Saunders and her friend  Georgia Blain.  Even when writing literary analysis, her personal connections and her deep love of reading and writing shine through.Animals Make Us Human, edited by Leah Kaminsky & Meg Keneally (Penguin, 2020). Another book that I heard about somewhere and had to have. Filled with gorgeous photography of the great diversity of Australian wildlife, and the stories of individual writer’s connection with them. Encounters with one animal, working to study or preserve a species, the awe seeing an animal in it’s natural habitat engenders – and, running throughout, the reminder that many species are threatened and the impact of climate change and the actions of humanity are to blame. Produced in response to the 2019/20 bushfires, and in support of conservation groups, this is both a delightful read and an important one.

February Total: 17 books

Year to date: 36 books

Poetry Friday: Echidna Dreams

It’s Poetry Friday and this week I read a wonderful book called Animals Make Us Human, which shares stories from some of Australia’s finest writers, and scientists and conservationists. Each story  shares that writer’s connection with animals, mostly of one specific species. The stories are lovely, the photos are sumptuous, but the message is also important – we need to  know these stories and the threats that face our animal friends.

There was so much to love and to digest from the book, but one line stood out to me – from author Tom Kenneally, who shared the fact that echidnas, among other amazing things, are known to dream – they experience REM sleep. ‘What is it the echidna’s dreaming’ Kenneally asks. And, reading that line, I knew I needed to write about this.

When it came time to write,  that line came back to me, and I knew I wanted to use it, or something close to it, and evoke a dream-like state. I settled on a poetic form new to me, the viator (which Irene Latham introduced me to last  Poetry Friday). The first line becomes a refrain, used in the second line of the second stanza, the third line of the third, and the final line of the fourth.  it’s a tricky form, but also a lot of fun to work with.

Here’s what I came up with:

 

When Echidna dreams

her dreams, curled in a spiky ball

nestled  down deep

in her earthy burrow

 

what does she dream

when Echidna dreams?

Do streams of ants

march across her vision?

 

Or does she fly

or swim or float

when Echidna dreams,

imagining fantastic possibilities?

 

I can only guess

the wonderings, the worrying

in the dreams she dreams

when Echidna dreams.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

 

Not familiar with the echidna? This video offers some wonderful footage – and insight.

 

Speaking of poetry, this week was a wonderful week for poetry in Australia – and especially for the verse novel. The Children’s Book Council announced the Notable Books for 2021 (this is a form of longlist for the Children’s Book of the Year Awards). And in the younger readers’ category there was not one, not two, but THREE verse novels. This is brilliant news, in a country where children’s poetry receives scant publishing attention. And, as it happens, I may have been also a bit chuffed that one of those poems was my own Worse Things.  Happy days!

 

Not really poetry related (though there is poetry under the sea and this video is filled with potential poems) – here’s a glimpse at the very early morning snorkelling trip I managed before work this week. I am a wee bit addicted.

The Poetry Friday host today is Karen Edmiston. Pop over to her blog to see what other poetry goodness is on offer today.. It might also leave you wondering what you are as old as (and the answer is not ‘as old as the hills’).

 

A Great Thing Happened to Worse Things: It’s Notable!

Hooray and hurrah! And all the other celebratory noises, too. I am happy dancing like crazy here, with the news that Worse Things has been named on the CBCA Notables list for 2021, in the Younger Readers category.   Knowing that the judges deemed my book worthy of this honour is an amazing feeling. Biggest congrats to the amazing Sarah Davis who is responsible for the amazing cover art – and the internals too! I still can’t believe she illustrated one of my books.

You can see the full notable list here.  One of the nicest things, for me, is seeing so many of my creator friends – authors and illustrators – also with books on the list. I can’t name them all because I might miss someone out, but it’s especially lovely to be on the list, in the same category, with my two special writer buddies Claire Saxby and Sue Whiting (who, incidentally, also each had a second book on the list in other categories). We have been friends for a looong time, but never imagined we would all appear on an a list like this at the same time.   Congratulations ladies!

Here we are celebrating – although  I must confess this photo is a few years old. We are currently in three separate states, and not sure when Covid will allow us to be together again. Thank goodness for Zoom!

Here’s to good friends, and to our books, and to the CBCA who runs the awards – and to you, my readers!

Poetry Friday: Under the Sea

This week I was lucky enough to have a little holiday from work – and from the world, it seemed.  I headed to Rottnest Island (which in the local Noongyar language is called Wadjemup), and spent two days snorkelling, riding a bike and relaxing.  I especially wanted to snorkel at a place called Parker Point, on the other side of the island, and hired a bike specially. Last year I cheated and caught the tourist bus.

I got up super early and was the first one in the water. It was so worth it!  I’ve tried to write about it, although the poem is still a draft. And, if you have time, I have cobbled together a video from my gopro footage.  If I had more time I would have edited it better, but hopefully you’ll get a sense of the magic.

 

Wadjemup, Tuesday Morning

Six a.m

and holidaymakers

sleep still

in cottages

languidly enjoying

their break from reality.

But I

am far from my cottage

urging my bike

up hills much steeper than they appeared

from the windows of

the air conditioned bus.

At Parker Point

I stop

feeling sheepish

chaining the bike

when there’s no one else in sight

descend the stairs

and prepare

snorkels

flippers

rashie.

At the edge of the water

I pause

wondering at my sanity

to be here alone

so early.

Too late now

I commit

lunging forward inelegantly

over seagrass

darkly stirring

just inches from my face.

Within metres

I spot my first fish

and I feel myself

surrender

to the lure of the water

and its myriad treasures.

Later

as I float

in a school of silver

that seems to never end

I wonder, briefly,

if those cottage beds

are working the same magic

on those who’ve stayed abed.

(Poem Copyright Sally Murphy,2021)

 

Ruth is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup. If you drop by there, you might be brave enough to add a fact for the group poem.

Poetry Friday: Etheree trio

Happy Friday! Last Friday, my Poetry Friday friend Linda shared  an etheree – a particular poetic form, where the first line has one syllable, the next line two and so on, all the way to ten. I had seen this form before but not played with it, but Linda’s lovely poem about her cat (you can see it here) inspired me to give it a go.

Another thing I’ve been inspired by this past year, is my beach visits. I have always found the beach restful and inspiring in equal measure, and in Covid times, those visits have taken on extra meaning. So, when I  decided to write an etheree and needed a single syllable word to begin with, there was only once choice. Here is what I came up with:

 

My Place

 

Beach

each day

different

one day calm, still

the next, crashing waves

one day leaping dolphins

next an exuberant seal

new sights, delights await each time

I visit; but one thing stays the same:

that beach never fails to make me wonder.

When I’d finished, I decided I’d like to also try my hand a reverse etheree – which starts with ten syllables and works back to one. I instantly wondered if I could take that last line of my first etheree and make it the first line of my reverse.  You can see I tweaked the first word, but here’s what came out:

Take Away

The beach never fails to make me wonder:

new sights and sounds on every visit

a seal, a dolphin, screeching gulls

gambolling dogs, chasing waves

that gently roll or else

loudly crash and bash.

So much to take

away when

home time

comes.

And then, just when I thought I was finished, I realised that I’d left something out – the people who share the beach with me. Nearly every day I see my beach-friend Dave, walking his dog Mitch, and there are other regulars – some I know by name, some I know by sight, and some people I see there just once.  And, of course, especially in the last year, I have loved sharing my beach through photos and videos shared here on my website and through social media, with people far and wide. It’s been a real privilege to share what I see, and to hear from people who have enjoyed those glimpses. So, one more etheree, again  begun with the last line of the one before

Sharing

Come

with me

and walk on

sandy shores and

see what I can see

hear what I am hearing

even if you are with me

only through a camera lens.

Technology bringing you along

makes my own experience much  richer.

Thanks Linda for inspiring me to try this form. I know I’ll be using it more – and sharing it in the classroom, too.

Thanks too to  Molly, who will be hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup. I can’t wait to see what new inspiration I collect from my fellow poets this week.

Poetry Saturday?

I don’t usually post poems on a Saturday,  but yesterday as I did the Poetry Friday rounds, I came across Laura Shovan’s  February Poetry Project prompts and  decided that it was time I had a go at some.

The project offers a different prompt each day for the month, and the idea is to try to create a daily writing habit, even if only for the month, and of course to be inspired or challenged by the prompts.

The prompt for February First was ‘Bodies Dance’ and included three youtube dance clips.  I was especially inspired by the third of these, a scene from the movie White Nights. What I noticed was the way the two characters start to dance, a bit out of synch and then, gradually, their timing comes together.  That led to this poem:

Partners

I move this way

You do too

I do me

and you do you

and as we dance

and our eyes link

our movements meld

till they’re in synch.

We dance in tune

we dance in time

like a song we’re singing

like a poem we rhyme.

No one here

to stop and see

as you do you

and I do me.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy 2021)

 

The February 2 prompt, provided by Tricia Stohr Hunt was ‘Hands’ and, almost without having to stop and think, I started writing about my mum’s hands. I hope she doesn’t mind.

Hands

My mother’s hands

show signs of age

as if the years

of care

of toil

of wisdom

are written

on skin folds

and spots

and scars.

My granddaughter’s hands

show no such signs

instead

smooth

and plump

and kissable

but I hope

that they, too,

will one day

show signs

of a life well lived.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy 2021)

Thanks Laura for the prompts. If you want to have a go, you can head to Laura’s blog, and you’ll see the other prompts added each day over the month.  I’m off to see if I can catch up on the other prompts.

Poetry Friday: Sealing a Friendship

It’s Poetry Friday and this week I have been lucky enough that, in a week of lockdown, I  have been able to keep up my beach walks in the one hour of exercise allowed.  My beach is always beautiful, and always different – no two visits are the same.

This week, there were some special surprises. On Tuesday I had an amazing dolphin encounter (you can see some footage in my post below). And then, because I thought that couldn’t be topped, Wednesday brought an even bigger surprise – a seal! 

Yes, there s/he was, just a couple of metres offshore, splashing and fishing and generally being amazing. Again, you can see some footage in the post below.

So, when I sat down to try to draft a new poem for Poetry Friday, it isn’t surprising that at least one of these creatures had to feature – and, this time, it was the seal.

 

Sealing a   Friendship    

I walked

you swam.

You waved

I waved back

the waves waved too.

I splashed for a closer look

you splashed

with joy.

You caught a fish

I caught your moves

on camera.

I strode

back along the beach

lighter for our meeting.

You swam away

heavy with fish.

I like to think

the  smile beneath my mask

mirrored your smile

beneath the water.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

 

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup will be hosted by Jone. Swim over there to see what goodies my poetic friends have shared today. I’ll pop in there too – after I’ve had my Friday walk where I know there’ll be more wonders.