9.95 for Immortality

Her smile is stretched
her neck is taught
her wrinkles blasted.

She tells me it’s because
of the secret of jelly fish because
they know all about how to replenish.

Their secret has been discovered
and bottled
just for me.

She thinks she can entice me
to pick up that phone
and try it for 9.95
because the postage is free.

But there must be a catch
don’t some jelly fish
have a deadly sting?

Perhaps it’s in the payment plan

She murmurs,
‘but really what price can you put
on immortality.’

(c) June Perkins

Wishing you a Happy Naw Ruz

Gumbootspearlz Photography

Happy Naw Ruz !

Here are some of this years earlier contributions to Nineteen Months

June Perkins ©

This photograph depicts ‘A leaf of the most Exalted Paradise’

“The word of God which the Supreme Pen hath recorded on the fifth leaf of the Most Exalted Paradise is this: Above all else, the greatest gift and the most wondrous blessing hath ever been and will continue to be Wisdom.”

-Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah

June Perkins ©

“Say: Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator. Its manifestations are diversified by varying causes, and in this diversity there are signs.”
-Baha’u’llah: Tablets of Baha’u’llah

“When a soul has in it the life of the spirit, then does it bring forth good fruit and become a divine tree.”
-‘Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks

Here the hands represent the soul
in action and on that hand
is the imprint…

View original post 100 more words

Magic Fish Dreaming Preorders

Magic Fish Dreaming,  an illustrated poetry book inspired by the natural wonder of North Queensland, for children and families,  celebrates the Australian environment, storytelling and multiculturalism, drawing on the cultural backgrounds and experiences of June and Helene.
**

For all those interested in pre-ordering, please email me at gumbootspearlz@gmail.com and I will include you in the upcoming mail out.

Large and small prepaid orders welcome.

Our first 100 preorders will receive a free calico bag.  Cost of the pre-order will be $25 AUD with free postage if within Australia for single orders.  For large orders and overseas orders we will give you a postage and handling quote and yes we can still send a calico bag per book if it is in our first 100.

If we can achieve at least 350 single book  preorders we will be able to print all books HARD COVER.

Those working with migrant and multicultural children and settling them into country areas, those who celebrate unity in diversity, and with an interest in exploring a poetry of place will especially love this book.

We feel that if you are in the tourism industry, especially in the Far North, you may also enjoy gifting this book to visitors, to take home to read with their families, to learn more about the wonderful place that is Far North Queensland.

Help us spread this news far and wide.

350 pre-orders, Magic Fish Dreaming will go hard cover!

 

 

We made it – Magic Fish Dreaming

Last 24 Hours Magic Fish Dreaming

We’re down to the final 24 hours for anyone who would like to back Magic Fish Dreaming and join our blog honour roll.

A massive thank you to all our backers so far.

Very last goal, let’s see if we can reach 150 + backers. We’re on 138.

Remember the pledges of $10 for the PDF great for those who want to see the book but who need to save on postage and on a tight budget and of course just $25 with postage included in Australia, or $25AUD with some postage costs overseas

KICKSTARTER LINK

Production meetings begin this week!

Last chance to select rewards with the book and to be included on our backer honour blog roll.

One of our last Hours Specials are detailed Here.

 

Mini Education kit $65 AUD

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/juneperkins/magic-fish-dreaming

1 plushy native animal toy 1 Tasmanian Tiger Toy 1 printed book signed by author and illustrator 1 calico bag 1 pdf of educational activities, or printed copy if preferred Stickers and a4 posters

Final Hours Magic Fish Dreaming some Special rewards

Gumboootspearlz

So we are down to the final 46 hours for Magic Fish Dreaming and we’re at 133 precious and beloved backers, We just need $342 to reach $10,000 AUD.

Mini Education kit $65 AUD

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/juneperkins/magic-fish-dreaming

1 plushy native animal toy, 1 Tasmanian Tiger Toy, 1 printed book signed by author and illustrator, 1 calico bag, 1 pdf of educational activities (or printed copy if preferred), stickers and a4 posters

Release of another Totem Paradise Scarf Special(includes a poetry hunter kit, pictured above)

LARGE SCARF Bird of Paradise – Hand painted mother and brother, tribal totem Small scarf bird of paradise hand painted by Gerard Family June’s totem. [plus earlier rewards, but excluding educational]

Two books, two calico bags, $50AUD (Custom Reward)

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Last Chance: Magic Fish Dreaming Pledges

Gumboootspearlz

The kickstarter has just 3 days to go.

We are currently at $9491AUD and would love to make it to $10,000AUD if we can – Anything more would be amazing as we would dearly like to print the book hard cover, but we are so thrilled with how much we have been able to raise for our project.

We are preparing our thank you honour roll blog and have been already saying lots of thank yous.  We think maybe it needs to include its own special poem.

We may still look at a few more  creative ways to fund our project up to hard cover level if we can, so keep a look out for future announcements.

To visit the Kickstarter and Pledge for a Book  click here.  KICKSTARTER LINK

For our overseas and blog fans on a budget, there is a $10AUD PDF option and there is still…

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into his direction

(c) Mel Irvine, From Love the People You Meet. Shared here with the kind permission of the Author.

 

i saw a woman hurt today
inside a crumble of people
staring

as a man
and security guard
grapple toward a woman

LOUD
and voices
indiscernable

security guard
LOUDER
as man rushes

at her, young woman
his hand
raised, fist

clenched white
knuckles and elbow
high

only stopping
suddenly
before her face.

and i stand
at the top of stairs
watching

armed security guard
watching
the others below

watching
and as i stand
and do nothing

his fury
vanishes
into street

dirt
she left standing
tiny frame against
concrete wall

doing nothing
nothing
not crying

not shaking
not moving
not saying

and i want to go to her
and say
DON’T don’t don’t don’t

please
do not
we are all silently

do not
all of us
do not

willing her
do not
do not

and i cannot look
as she disappears
into his direction

By Mel Irvine

Five Powers to Dealing with Racism

Gumboootspearlz

My family in the early days in Tasmania

It was amazing today to feel like an advocate for unity in diversity, and the power of poetry, love, and education.

I mentioned Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, my parents and the spiritual and cultural upbringing that has made me who I am today. Love will always lead us away from hate as a solution, and words on paper can have great power to release pain and lead to understanding!

Hope you can listen in to this story of my family, paying tribute to the courage of my parents and thinking about ways we can deal with racism.

My FAMILY RADIO INTERVIEW HERE

For me there are five powers to dealing with racism: Power of poetry! Power of spirituality (faith) ! Power of love! Power of Education and Excellence!

Can’t quite believe where the journey of this kickstarter has taken me.  Thinking of…

View original post 87 more words

6 days left – Magic Fish Dreaming kickstarter – Make a Difference

We did it!  We made our goal!  Magic Fish Dreaming is happening! But we can do more?

Do you want more poems in the book?

Would you like some cool end papers?

Would you love to see it in hard cover case bound?

118 people from ten countries have backed this project. 6 days to go! Why not join them!

We can do so MUCH MORE!

KEY:AUD = Australian Dollar USD =US Dollar Euros GBP=British Pound

MORE PAGES

STRETCH GOAL 1 – More pages of art and poetry!$15,000 AUD / 10348 USD/ 9478.71 Euros/ 7307 (GBP)pounds We can increase number of pages for the book to 40! Do some beautiful end papers with a special design from Helene.

HARD COVER CASE BOUND

STRETCH GOAL 2 – Cover Charisma $20,000+ (AUD)/ 13679.90 USD /12550.47 Euros/9611 (GBP)pounds Now we can print all the books in hard cover with a durable and attractive case binding. Poems can be translated into French or motu.

A FILM!

STRETCH GOAL 3 – Another Film! $25,000 (AUD)/ 1725 USD/ 15789 Euros/ 12171 (GBP)poundsJune can create another engaging creative short poetry film featuring Helene’s art and June’s photography, voice, and poetry. We’ll give you a chance to vote on which poem has a short film outing. June will also ‘sound cloud’ the most popular poems for those who would like to hear readings by the poet.

DUST COVER AND PUBLISHING COMPANY

STRETCH GOAL 4 – Long term plans possible! $33,000 +(AUD) /23332 USD / 21456 Euros /16392 (GBP)pounds A dust cover will be added to the hard cover book.June builds a publishing company to make more beautiful diverse books, fiction, non-fiction and poetry focusing on culture and nature!She develops the multimedia aspects of her publishing more (looking at ebooks and apps).