Relationships

By Tahlia










Relationships
Re
In regards to
Interpersonal communication
Jumbled, mumbled
What did you say?

Relationships
Re
Late
Past the prescribed time
Rushing - no time to waste
Heart pounding
But it's never too late.

Relationships
Re
Late
On
Joined
Connected between
Touching and feeling
No, it's not a dream.

Relationships
Re
Late
On
Ships
Some pass in the night
Others work silently side by side
Now tell me truly
What is your delight?

The Murray River

By Sally Irwin

Irrigation
is sucking it dry.
Black sulphuric acid,
toxic metals and sludge,
pH below 5 –
arsenic wastelands spread.

It’s spreading
further than we know
Where the Murray
meets the ocean,
no bird life thrives.
It’s choked at the mouth.

Pelicans and fairy terns
are all in decline.
Trees are dying.
Each passing day,
more and more water
slips away.

Women of Peace (for Charito)

By Eddie Blatt

It was the early eighties and I had befriended a Filipino Catholic nun who was very much involved in helping those in the Philippines adversely affected by the dictatorial Marcos regime. She invited me to stay for a weekend in a small flat in her nunnery that had been put aside for visitors. I had just split up with my then wife and took the opportunity for much-needed solitude and contemplation. I wanted to repay her for her kindness, so although I did not share her beliefs I wrote the following poem as if I was seeing things through her eyes.

Women of peace come take my hand,
through God help me to understand
the inner pain that will not rest;
the ball and chain within my breast.

Women of love show me the way
to free myself from want each day;
to find the Lord through hope and prayer,
through kindly deeds and tender care.

Women of joy please share my sorrow
for broken lives that fall tomorrow;
for every soul that's lost its way,
for every dream in disarray.

Women of peace, come take my hand
and lead me to the promised land,
where lion and lamb are born together,
and you and I can rest forever.

The Practical Writer

At our last WordsFlow meeting, talk turned to things the local Council is allowing to happen which will be bad for the environment. It seems that many people in the community feel resigned and helpless, so they don't speak up about these issues.

As writers, though, we have a tool readily available: our ability to express ourselves by the written word. Yes, we could write impassioned poems, songs, stories and scripts that might live forever and influence many people ... or not. But we are also the ones who can write the most powerful letters to our local papers. We have the skills to write them so well that they are likely to be chosen for publication!

Even when it seems that a decision affecting the community is fait accomplit, I think it's still worth speaking out – in writing. Perhaps others will be inspired to do likewise. Even if a decision is not reversed, perhaps 'they' will think twice before making a similar one in future.

Particularly if we use the power of the written word to lobby the appropriate Council person too! One member of the group said she kept emailing the person she thought most directly concerned with environmental issues. When he didn't respond the first time, she started sending him the same email every fortnight, with a note: I wish you would reply to this! Pretty soon he did, and directed her to the person responsible for that area of concern. No doubt she will continue to email that person too, if they are slow to respond!

It reminds me of my favourite bumper sticker (now the slogan for this blog):

WRITERS have the last word.

- Rosemary (Facilitator)

What We've Been Up To Lately

Zines

We've just produced yet another zine. We have decided to do them bi-monthly from now on, to give ourselves a bit more time to get them together.

The next one, in the planning stages, will be for children. We're creating it specifically for children in our two local hospitals, to enliven their time there – but it will be suitable for any youngsters. The hospitals concerned are thrilled with this initiative, which came not from me but from the group. I think it might have been Margaret who first suggested it, but the whole group was instantly enthusiastic.

Writing exercise

Dinah, a member of our group, came up with a wonderful exercise recently. She invited us to draw a map of a real or imaginary country and write about a journey there, either to or within the country. We were to include some excitement and/or a disaster to be overcome. And we were to answer the questions: Who? Where? When? How? Why?

It was an amazingly productive exercise – except that, with our usual time limit, some people got so absorbed in creating the map that they didn't leave themselves much writing time! We produced stories, or beginnings of stories, which we felt we'd like to continue with later.

From the horse's mouth

Angela, the wonderful Coordinator of Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre, asked me today how WordsFlow is going. So I thought I'd ask the participants to answer that question. These are the answers they called out as I jotted them down:

Stimulating
We love Fridays
Brain-activating
Friendship-building
Laughter-generating
We're a community
Skills-developing
Self-determining
We even sing during tea-breaks!

It's my philosophy that learning happens best in an atmosphere of laughter.

- Rosemary (Facilitator)