Arms with minds of their own.
A body that can morph through
openings.
Three hearts beating
boom, boom, boom
to the call of the
ocean.
Like escapologists
obligated when opportunity
presents itself
to freedom
beyond the tank.
Blue blood
beating, beating, beating.
Octopus of song.
Octopus of story.
Octopus of science.
By June Perkins
This poem appeared at Australian Children’s Poetry
This prompt is going to be fun.
Thanks Australian Children’s Poetry.
My teenagers were telling me high schoolers sing this in the playground to annoy each other.
That’s when you know something has really gone viral.
But I have to admit I had never heard of it until today.
Any one of you who has little children, grandchildren or works in a school may have heard this song?
What can you write about Sharks?
Please send poems to:
poemoftheday.jaxton@gmail.com
Cheers
Jeanie
And this weeks quote:
Basking in your orchard
admiring your yellow
a song says your tree is very pretty
but you are bitter and impossible to eat.
Cheesecake says ‘no,
you make me stand out with
your moreish zing of bitter.
We are the perfect marriage of opposites.’
I have great expectations of what I could do with you
if I was given you on
an episode of Master Chef
but is this dangerous?
There may be things in the mix of the secret box
you should never be combined with.
I paint you with blue plates
on a French cloth
into patterns on wall paper
with me dreaming in your orchards.
I write you into a story
of biscuits and blankets for
you are the thread of love in
a starry, starry lemon blanket.
To the lost friend who never recovers
a bitter heart is
senseless lost expectation
impossible to take.
To the writer you are manna
melancholy that inspires songs
of lost love
bittersweet.
(c) June Perkins
What music inspires you to write?
I like instrumental music with atmosphere. Violin, Cello, Guitar especially. Impressionists on the Piano are also quite beautiful.
Lindsey Stirling is one of my top picks on the violin.
I love that she is sometimes inspired by Writers, as with Song of the Caged Bird. She also has no limitations to what kind of music she plays, classical, rock, and more.
Writing with music gives me, a speaking beat, a mood, changes in pace and the ideas for story.
Sometimes my characters have their own music.
Imagine you have a character who is Jazz speaking to a character who is Rock and Roll.
Perhaps you have a Celtic Folk mother with a Punk Rocker son.
As for Lindsey, her music videos, with their dance, narratives, costuming, lighting and artistry can add another layer of inspiration to the writer.
This week I will concentrate on inspirations from music.
What music inspires you to write?
Just a few inspirational moments with creative people from this year.
I love reading, music, books, henna, and singing.
I love collaborating, listening and connecting.
I love history, picture books, novels, non fiction.
I like studying the craft of writing.
I love celebrating people’s books, cultures, resilience, beauty.
I love people who create sacred spaces , who respect sacred moments,
and friendships.
Thank you to all of those pictured for being you!
O is for Octopus.
Can you write a poem about an octopus that creatively uses O words?
Please send poems to:
poemoftheday.jaxton@gmail.com
Cheers
Jeanie
And this weeks quote:
Thank you friends and family who have keenly visited Words and Pictures at the QAGOMA and given me your feedback.
Thanks for taking pictures of me with the exhibition as well. I am not so good at selfies.
John Perceval’s Angel, Queensland Art Gallery
‘Art is a sign; signs can be art and art can be light.
But the real question is, what will you design in response to loss?’
(Perceval’s Angel)
It adds another layer to reading the poems, if you take the time to meet Perceval’s Angel and head to Yvonne Koolmatrie’s Hot Air Balloon to set out on this adventure.
After that you can read the poems and stories whenever you find that feather – the order doesn’t really matter.
There are ten pieces to find after the two orientation pieces.
That day when we ran into
watch tv
the black and white of
Sesame St
now full colour
was jump up and down on the couch
joy.
That day when someone looked at
me and said
you can’t talk to me
you are not my friend
was tears.
That day when my friend
made a necklace for me out
of fimo and it was frangipanis
the past was lost
and part of me was healed.
That day when someone tried
to break into our house
and our friends arrived
before the police did
and stayed to make us tea
when the intruder was taken away
was scarier than a cyclone
and preparation.
That day when I found out
I could write and research
the rest of a history story
I had been waiting to do so for
twenty years
was a story saying
I bless you
to share me.
That day I told my story
about Yasi
to help others
I began to let it go.
(c) June Perkins
So happy my first published story for children, ‘Starry, Starry Lemon Blanket’ has made it into ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.’
The full cover will be released on the day of the launch!
So happy to be alongside so many talented writers and illustrators.
Proceeds from book sales will help pre-service teachers in Tanzania to buy much needed bicycles.
Available for pre-order below through Lilly Pilly Publishing.
For more information head here.
If you want to head to the Brisbane launch, it is on December 1st
Details are HERE.
Ripple Poetry 