Poetry Friday: The other new year

You know it's been awhile when you almost forget the name of your blog!

I don't know where the time has gone. This month was, as usual, the month of fasting for Baha'is, where we abstained from eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset for 19 days. It's described as outwardly toilsome and difficult, inwardly it is bounty and tranquillity. And at the end of it all marked the Baha'i new year or Naw-Ruz, which began the evening of the 20th of March. Down in Australia it's approaching the dregs of summer, but the spirit of the new year is probably the closest to spring.

To keep things brief so that I might actually finish a post this week, I share a poem I came across by a Chinese poet named Shishu. There isn't much known about his poems or the poet himself, except for perhaps being a Buddhist monk.

"nothing to do; nothing to lose"

"nothing to do; nothing to lose"
among the flowers, darkening clouds
above the pines, a sinking sun
spring deepens with urgent birdcalls
autumn declines to the cries of insects
dawn: darkness wrapped in darkness
this, the end of every quest.

I think I just like the imagery, and imagining myself watching the change of seasons and the quietness of nature. This week's Poetry Friday is being hosted by Rebecca over at Sloth Reads who talks about the role of play in our lives (and not just as children!)


Have a great weekend. x

Poetry Friday - More update than poetry

I'm trying not to let the Poetry Friday habit slip, but it has been more than a month since I've last updated, which has coincided with my recent move. Things have been unpacked (mostly), the holidays have come and gone, and the Internet at our place is yet to be connected because we need to do some digging to connect a phone line (or something - it's just going on forever)

Since we changed house, I've been spending a bit of time helping friends with their service with youth in the community. The past couple of weeks my son and I have been helping at a youth camp (though my 2 year old was mostly in the business of going outside and looking for pirates) where they're learning about working with children and younger youth between the ages of 11 - 15 with different community programs. It's been interesting learning about how to be an effective resource and also how not to let my toddler disturb sessions too much, especially when everyone wants to play with him or maybe the opposite--when he wants to play with everyone else! I'm grateful tho those who have taken him on walks, or played ball, tried to cheer him up when he was upset and help him behave when he would listen to anyone but me :)

Yesterday was the last day of camp and also the hottest temperature. The high was around 115 F (46 C)! It was pretty miserable but we all worked together to clean up our dorms, the rooms we used around the campsite and all the other things that needed to get done before our bittersweet ending of having to go back to whatever lives we left momentarily.

Also, apologies, I'm a few weeks late in acknowledging my poem and gift in the Winter Poetry Swap (which did get to my new address - cheers Tabatha!). I received my package from Donna, who was also in the middle of a move. It's always exciting to receive something more than routine mail. Thank you for the poem of new beginnings as well as the notebook and a couple of other handmade items ⚘

This week's Poetry Friday is graciously hosted by Tara at the Going to Walden. I hope to get back to routine from next week. Have a good weekend everyone!

Poetry Friday - Send them packing

It's been a couple of weeks since I've updated. Friday is only minutes away from completion on this side of the world and my sleepy eyes wonder whether I'll manage to make it to the end of this post :) Perhaps the best solution is to keep it short.

We moved this past Sunday so it's been hectic trying to get into more of a routine on top of the other things I'd normally have going on. Transition can be a bit disconcerting but overall the change feels good. I've also been trying to take advantage of having friends that live nearby so I can socialise with more than just my two-year-old! This week's little poem, of course, is dedicated to moving.


Misplaced,
Displaced.
Box upon
box.
Jars of jam
next to the socks.

Clean up
Clean up
Where does this go?
Dreaming of new things
This place we now
call
home.

- © e. mauger

Check out the rest of the Poetry Friday roundup at Carol's Corner. I hope to be back next week with something more on the brain than organising house. Happy Friday and hope you all have a smooth start to your December!

Poetry Friday - Sudden Light

I haven't posted the past couple of weeks. It's easy to let something slip - honestly I don't know where the days are going. November 2018? Well - what's been happening?

Last weekend myself and the in-laws had a short road trip to Victoria to attend a friend's wedding. For me, it was more of an acquaintance than anything but it was an excuse to go to the next state over which I haven't really had a chance to explore previously. It was about a 7-hour commute -- longer on the way back, which included a stop at a quarantine station on the border where we collectively worked our way through the fruit we didn't consume while at our AirBnB. In the end there were minimal casualties, some mandarins and the dregs of a watermelon.

The time has come to find a new place to rent and I've been trying to find somewhere suitable. No one *really* likes moving but I'm more amenable to it than my other half. I just try to see it as an opportunity to start over and maybe with the new surroundings reinvigorate, motivate or kick start things you may have been putting off.

This week I share a classic love poem by Dante from a collection of poems I borrowed from the library. While the poem may, in part, refer to being reminded of an old love in the face of another, I like to take it in the slightly romantic notion of coming across someone you felt you have known in other lifetimes.

Sudden Light

I have been here before,
But when or how I cannot tell:
I know the grass beyond the door,
The sweet keen smell,
The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.

You have been mine before --
How long ago I may not know:
But just when at that swallow's soar
Your neck turned so,
Some veil did fall -- I knew it all of yore.

Has this thus before?
And shall not thus time's eddying flight
Still with our lives our love restore
In death's despite
And day and night yield one delight once more?

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

This week's roundup is being hosted by Michelle over at Today's Little Ditty.  Have a great weekend :)

Poetry Friday - Rainy Day Poem

Hello, hello. Welcome to Poetry Friday once again. Before I forget, this week's roundup is hosted by Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales.

A couple of weeks ago I entered a giveaway for a copy of Matt Forrest Esenwine's Flashlight Night and was surprisingly one of the winners. My copy came in the mail earlier last week. When you have a child who likes to read, you get tired of reading the same ones over and over again so thanks for adding some more imaginative wordplay to the bookshelves!

Evidence of receipt :p

We've had a couple of nice days in my part of the world lately but it's mostly been interspersed with wet and cold weather. Last Sunday was more humid and warm so when the rains came it was welcome. It was difficult to convince my son to go inside the house so we just let him play in the rain. It was nice to see the happiness he had from the offerings of nature. My contribution this week is a short poem from that moment.

Untitled

Rainbow rain coat

twirl and twirl

Hop in the rain

like a chirpy little bird

Splash! goes the water

Stomp! goes my feet

To the park with dad

What fun, what a treat. 

© 2018 e. mauger

Poetry Friday - Love's Secret

I went to the library with my son this afternoon, forgetting that it'd be busy because of school holidays. There was lots of yelling and cushion throwing going on in the kid's section and I was relieved when we finally made it to another part of the library. I feel so greedy whenever I go - the time I have to read is limited, but I still feel compelled to check out a little more than I can sufficiently get to in the borrowing period. 

I suppose my coveting books is a sign of my love for them - and so for today's offering I thought I'd share a love poem by William Blake.

Love's Secret

Never seek to tell thy love, 

Love that never told can be;

For the gentle wind does move

Silently, invisibly.

I told my love, I told my love,

I told her all my heart;

Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears,

Ah! she did depart!

Soon as she was gone from me,

A traveler came by,

Silently, invisibly 

He took her with a sigh. 

Tomorrow I have a wedding to go to - any plans for your weekend? *EDIT* I forgot to mention Tabatha over at The Opposite of Indifference was the host for Poetry Friday this week.

Poetry Friday - about a squid

I enjoyed hosting Poetry Friday last week. Thanks to everyone who came over and left their contributions. This week Jone is hosting over at Deowriter. It's her first time hosting, too, so go over and show some love.

With all the things happening in the news, particularly the latest political merry-go round back home, it feels a bit strange to have light-hearted fare on offer today. But this week I thought I'd try a persona poem about a vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis literally "vampire squid from hell"!). I intended to respond to the call for octopus poems for the release of Irene Latham's Love, Agnes, but I ended up writing about this guy instead.

Vampire Squid

I live down deep

where so few thrive

in the depths

where the dark resides.

But suck your blood?

You bet I don't.

I feed on tiny things that float.

Eggs and

algae and

crab bits, yum.

I cast my fishing lines

to catch some grub.

I like mystery

and masquerade.

I'm not a true squid.

It's kind of a charade.

But don't be mad,

I don't mean to kid.

Blame the scientists.

They named me—

they did!

- © e. mauger

Hope you all have a productive weekend. See you next week!