Artland

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ A creative view of a corner of Cranbourne Botanical Gardens
~
Inspire Me Thursday prompt ~ Purple and Orange
~

In columned folds of whimsical purple drapes
Pressing down from skyworlds
And buoyed by earthy orange ochre pillars ~
Final bastions
Of dusky
Dust ~
Even in artland
There can be just a little
Natural
Reality
Squeezed into
Possibility
~

Read my latest poem ~ Ferment and Buckets ~ on AuraGem Songlines

Curved Wisdom

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ Bedhead
~
Sunday Scribblings prompt ~ Curve or curves
~
Some curves lead nowhere ~
Cyclical seasons
~
Some curves are rainbow links ~
Bridges
From somewhere to
Somewhere else
~
Some curves circle
And meet ~
Like a cathedral spire
Prayerfully leading to
A heaven
~
And some curves
Spiral
In waves of
Eternity
~

Read my latest poem ~ Different Worlds ~ on AuraGem Songlines

All I remember is how I forgot...

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ Clown doll ~ 2
~
Two for Tuesdays prompt ~ Heather said ~ I saw this line over at Kary’s Blog, and I can’t get it out of my head. I would LOVE to see what you guys do with it as a starting line! ...All I remember is how I forgot...
~
All I remember is how I forgot to buy a newspaper...
I wanted the latest headlines
In the latest newspaper
As a keepsake of a moment
Frozen in Camden time ~
But all I remember is reaching for
A clown doll
To take with me
To what would be
Tragedy
In the paradise of
Tasmania
~

Read another poem related to this doll ~ Clown Child ~ on AuraGem Songlines

Chained Fenceline

Pic by Gemma Wiseman - Imaginative Glimpse of Seawinds, Mornington Peninsula
~
3WW Prompt ~ blurred + illegal + match
~
A chained fenceline symbolises a warning
To beware
Dangerous
Unpredictable
Ground ~
It could be illegal
To ignore signs
~
But often
Curiosity may match
Even challenge
Caution
~
Some boil with a sense of
Adventure
Daring
Rebellion ~
Willing the spirit to explore
Any
Blurred
Reality ~
Imagining
Analysing
Confirming
The message of
The colours
~

In the world of one magpie

Pics by Gemma Wiseman
~
ReadWrite prompt ~ Exercise in Comparisons
Simply Snickers prompt ~ cordial + company
~
Meet Norm the amazing magpie who regularly visits our home. If he's not getting attention, he politely knocks at the door. In the next stage, if that fails, he not so politely decides to shred the front door mat. And then! He calls! Very very loudly and non stop like a warbling "coo-eee" in the base of the throat! After his morning photo shoot, (see pics below), he decided to check out the competition. I was trying to photograph some musical figurines, but he just had to get in on the act! So there he is (see above)! Big Norm and the little music man!
~
He struts like a professional model ~
His curiosity is always sharpened
With blatant nosiness ~
And his impeccable ego is like a stubborn
Petulant child
Who simply will never understand that
Wrong is wrong and
Manners are manners
~

But when Norm
Edges closer
On the arms
Of a chair
That he claims
Is his
There is a strong sense
That he needs
To be wanted
To be loved
And there is a strong sense
That company
Could be
A two way street ~
In fact
It is hard to say
Whether Norm
Or we
Offer the cordial welcome
~
But quickly
That small
Sensitive moment
Melts
When he checks
The call of
Wild
Freedom
And he flies
Into the skies of
Just another
Common
Magpie
~

Return to the Isle of Light

Pics by Gemma Wiseman
~
Just a few notes ~ I have moments when I long to return to Tasmania, an island paradise. If I hear a little music from Alchemy (1996-8), then my spirit weeps with longing.
So using song titles from Alchemy's albums, here is a poem dedicated to a return someday. (Song titles are highlighted!)
~
Writer's Island prompt ~ The Return
One Single Impression prompt ~ Reflecting
~

Sometimes
Life is just a Stony Ground
Stifling the rhythms of
Earthbeat ~
Sometimes
A Tarn Dance
Spurns
Bleeding feet
But The Calling
Remains
Distant
~
Sometimes
I feel
Dark Wind
Churning
Black Sea
But I walk
Still
On Shifting Sands
In the Seasons of
Shadows ~
The Tapestry
Of Dreams
Spills fractured realities
On a Wing
Cursed to
Icarus' Flight
~
Sometimes
On the Whitest Sand
In a January summerland
I dare to stand on
Land's Edge
Reflecting on
Pasts and futures ~
Scanning the Ebb and Flow ~
And will my ship
To give me
The return
~

Whimsical Landscape

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ This is a pic of Arthurs Seat from bushland by Bunurong Track below. The mountain is always mystical in the mist. I tweaked the image a little to enhance the alluring mystery. It could so easily be a parallel universe; a world within worlds.
~
N.B. With petrol at record high levels, I am trying to take pics on the way shopping or going to and from work. I only allow myself small detours to get to the original destination. So pics are always "on the way" to some somewhere locked into the daily routine. Hopefully, the Semester holidays will allow me petrol space (no work drives) to go a little further afield!)
~
Writer's Island Prompt ~ Parallel Universe
Inspire Me Thursday ~ Whimsy
~

A mountain is nature's cathedral ~
Where the windows are always open
To the heavens ~
Where sculptures
And paintings
Are always
In seasonal fashion
And the door
Is always open
To anyone
Who wishes
To stop awhiles
In a fragrant
Sacred
Space
~

Whimsical Silence

Pic by Gemma Wiseman of the Chairlift Tea Rooms ~ Arthurs Seat
~
N.B. This is actually quite a dreary pic. But I used a touch of "techy magic" to give it a sparkle!
~

Silent Sunday
In the early grey hours
Of a dawn waiting for rain ~
And the tea room
At the base of the mountain
Was a lonely echo of
Other days
When people thronged
To journey the mountain slope
In a tiny chair
~
The picture
The reality
Seemed so forlorn
~
But a little light
Of imagination
Could so easily
Give a sad light
A new glow
~

Whimsical Light

Pics by Gemma Wiseman ~ Click on the pic to read the "secret" words! (Use the zoom feature to read the verses! I didn't want the words to overwhelm the pic!)

~

N.B. This is actually a beautiful figurine given to me by my partner as a Christmas present. I have always loved it! Only trouble was, a pic inside the house seemed to lose its beauty in other homely pieces. So I took it out onto the verandah, placed it on the railing in front of a camellia bush... and voila!

Gated Masks

Pic by Gemma Wiseman
~
ReadWrite Prompt #27 ~ Similes + Metaphors
~
Like waiting at a gate
That cannot unlock ~
Like dreaming of yesterdays
As if they were real ~
Like being a soul
Warped
In a time frame
~
A mask is a smile
Etched on a
Blind
Chilled
Heart
~

Quitting or Quilting?

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ As You Like It
~
Sunday Scribblings Prompt ~ Quitting
~
Quitting is all about silhouettes
Shadows
And a fallen
Stray
Leaf
~
Quitting is like a Madame Tussaud's
Filed
Museumed
Waxwork
For the glossy ones
(If you're lucky) ~
It is like stamping out
The colours of life
With crossbars
And keeping
Any semblance of
A bridge
Tucked away in some
Almost
Oblivious
Corner
~
But even in the poorest shapes
Of denial
And indifference
A silken blanket
Of light
Offers
Bright glows
Of living breath
On the other side
Of the bed
~
Replace quitting
With sleeping awhiles
And there may be
The awakening
Opportunity to
Quilt
~

Come Home

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ Night lights at Balnarring, Mornington Peninsula
~
Writer's Island Prompt ~ The Return
~

I love night lights ~
Jewelled beacons
Leading
The weary
The blind ~
Somehow
There is a silent
Whisper
To seek
Comfort
To relax
In peace ~
To return
Home
~

Postcard Heaven

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ Mixed Bits
~
Poefusion Prompt ~ Friday 5 ~ shell, comic book, discarded soapbox, rubber soles, postcard
~
3WW Prompt ~ delayed, edge, focus
~

After a brisk shower dance
The discarded soapbox is left
To let wistful stars
Weep dry
(At least till the same routine
Tomorrow)
And the humble rubber soles
Take a walk
(Or a jog)
On the wild side
Of healthy living
Before knuckling down
To the next routine
Of working
On the edge
Of healthy living
~
Somehow
This monotone lifecycle
This delayed action
Is worth a strip
In a comic book
~
If only we could
Break
The shell
Of "must do"
And dare to focus
Barefoot
In the worlds of "may do"
Or "could do"
~
That would be worth
A postcard
~
Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ Rafael Saldana's whimsical postcards of Tasmania
~

My First Meme - Thank you Tammie Lee!

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ Balnarring, Mornington Peninsula
~

A little light

In the leaves of darkness

Leaves a little light

~

Tammie Lee has tagged me for a meme. Usually I write a poem a day. With my new digital camera, I am finding new inspiration! In fact, I was wondering if I could search out another poetry prompt when I found Tammie Lee's invitation! (I am a poetry addict, as if you couldn't tell!) But this makes a refreshing change. Here's hoping it sounds OK!

Rules:
The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
Each player answers the questions about himself or herself.
At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten years ago: May 1998
Ten years ago was a dark time for me. I was surrounded by the beauty of the island of Tasmania. I so loved the beauty of her mountains and villages. Every scene, in any season, was picture perfect. But I was living a tragic life, seeing all I had worked for slip away. I lived on a grand rural property of 50 acres in the heart of the Western Tiers. But I feared for my safety as my partner resorted more and more to gambling and drinking. Finally, I grabbed what I could bundle into my car and literally ran. But always, in even the darkest darknesss, there is light. Just under ten years ago was a turning point, when I finally left for Melbourne to start life again. It has been tough, but since then I have met and now live with a most loving man. We struggle! We both have tragic stories, but we love each other. And so, I believe we have riches far beyond any worldly wealth. I feel very fortunate.

Five things on today's "to do" list:
1. Begin and end the day with "I love you" to my partner. This never changes from day to day.
2. Eat sensibly to get through a hectic day of teaching.
3. Enjoy my students and their achievements. (This never changes either!)
4. Offer help somewhere to someone.
5. Write about anything that has nothing to do with schoolwork to keep me sane! (Well, just a little anyways!)

Things I'd do if I was a billionaire:
This would have to be an impossible dream! But if, by some miracle this would happen, I would only ask for a home for my partner and I and just enough to live out our lives in retirement. The rest I would like to share with other battlers! That would be perfect happiness!

Three bad habits:
1. Writing at all hours of the night and not getting enough sleep.
2. Worrying about too much, including students.
3. Writing poetry when I should be listening attentively to staff meetings or finding some excuse to give them a miss.

Five places I've lived:
1. Sydney, NSW - for most of my growing up years
2. Liffey, Tasmania - for 2.5 years
3. Liena, Tasmania - 6 months
4. Blackburn, Melbourne - 3.5 years
5. Mornington Peninsula - 5 years

Five jobs I've had:
1. Worked in the Sydney theatres to support university years
2. Worked in Sydney bookshops
3. English/History teacher in Sydney high schools
4. Tourist industry - tea room + chalets - Tasmania
5. English/History teacher Melbourne + part-time writer of English texts

Five people I'm tagging for this meme - Please note, this is completely optional!
O help this is so hard! I have never been involved in a meme before, so don't really know who may even have done this one! But here goes! Please leave me a comment on this post if you choose to do it!

Jeques at Jeques's Web Nook
Elizabeth at The House in Marrakesh
Tara Bradford - Paris Parfait
Selma - Selma in the City
Linda - Nickers and Ink

Bleeding air waves

Pic by Gemma Wiseman ~ My old radio
~
One Single Impression prompt ~ Bleeding
~
Bleeding dry in musky corners ~
An art gallery of dried blood
Not on the walls
But within the walls
And the halls
Where tread
The songs
That bled
Old voices
Old souls
~

A hint of possible sound

Pics by Gemma Wiseman ~ Windchimes in my dining room window + fragment of a print on my hall wall.
~

Cafe Writing Prompt ~ arouse, morning, nerve, women, men, beauty, admire, nowhere
Two for Tuesdays Prompt - race, own
~

In some worlds
Women are still stifled
In strait jacket
Role plays ~
Their inner beauty
Locked
In deathly caskets ~
Cursed to act out
Pre-meditated
Moves
And shapes
~
In some worlds
Men admire
Routine and ritual
Frozen
In old wisdoms ~
Fearing
To break
Moves
And shapes ~
Fearing
To own
New shadows ~
Blind
Non-starters
In the race to
New light
~
In some worlds
Morning
Is the nerve centre
Of nowhere
And windchimes
Sidling
Before rainy glass
Arouse only a hint
Of possible
Sound
~

Elements of Light

Pic on Flickr by Gemma Wiseman ~ Rosebud pier with light on water
~
Simply Snickers prompt ~ hope + happens
~
There is something about
A ribbon of light on water ~
Inspiring
Softening
Smiling
~
There is something about
A stream of light beneath greying clouds ~
Hope
Warmth
Promise
~
There is something about
A shaft of light
Leading to intersecting pylons ~
Choices
Diversions
Alternatives
~
And if a stream of light
Happens to lead to a misty mountain
Over fluid landscapes
There is
Faith
Courage
Potential
Waiting for
Magical
Miracles
~

Fragmented

Pic on Flickr by Gemma Wiseman ~ Fragmented window landscape 5
~
Totally Optional Prompts ~ Symbolic Poetry
~
It's raining on my landscape ~
The garden is a blur of broken fences
And fallen leaves
~
The window ~
Fragmented with tears
And eerie
Liquid
Shapes ~
Is only
Partly
Open...
Partly
~

Blue Light of Impulse

Pic on Flickr by Gemma Wiseman ~ Garden Gnome ~ inverted colours
~
Writer's Island prompt ~ Impulse
~
Icy winter winds
Prowl and howl
In the darkness
Outside
And the new digital
Camera
Lies beside me
On the table
Hoping tomorrow may shed
Just a little sunshine
For rambling
Secret corners
Of inspiration
~
But the spirit
Is longing for the moment
Now
~
A tiny gnome
Too precious for lonely gardens
Smiles nearby ~
But not for long ~
The spark
Is happening
~
In a new context
Of an aging sideboard
Mellow with etched shapes
Of cloudy faces ~
While silver rain
Tumbles in
In the misty night ~
She lingers
In a world
Brushed
In the mystical
Blue
Inverted
Light of
Impulse
~