Most of you know by now that I am from Australia and write Australian tales. The fifty tale collection based on the whacky character of “Ma” is now in the publication process. In honor of the old poets from the 1800’s, I occasionally post a bush ballad here. These poems reflect the life of the bush pioneers in the 1800’s … Read More
Wise Words
While reading some information on proper manuscript format on the Whidbey Island Writers alumni site, I came across the following website, and a few comments from instructor Bruce Holland Rogers, master of short fiction. http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html
To novel or not to novel. That is the question…
Once upon a time I lived on the only raging, free flowing river in Colorado. The Animas. Six acres, a log cabin and fly fishing rights plus a view to the mountains. Things changed. I opened my clutching fingers and let that go. Such illusory matter fills the vaporous dreams we try to hold as they float in and out … Read More
Why Write?
What difference does it make anyway? A few reasons are as follows. Add other reasons in the comments.
A short short story for you: Bombay on his Mind
Bombay on his Mind approximately 830 words by Kaye Linden Amal pushes a supermarket cart with a squeaky wheel to his basement flat in the Bronx, climbs down six rickety steps and unloads green lentils, rice and purple onions. The unwinding of the white turban from his long gray hair takes a few minutes and he unwraps with the practiced … Read More
Tiny Plants and Tiny Words
I have become a bonsai nut. Compression of words and compression of plants offer a challenge. How do we make both of these honed, precise and yet attractive? Both require knowledge of their specific craft. To capture the essence of a plant’s beauty in miniature takes patience and demands the skills of relaxation and focus. The creation of the … Read More
Forget-Me-Not
In honor of my dear friend who passed away September 20th from ALS. I offer you the Forget-Me-Not symbolism. Shaped like a mouse’s ears, (hence its Greek botanical name,) the flower’s English name comes from the old French “ne oubliez mye” which came from the old German “vergiss mein nicht.” Guess what they mean? That’s right. Blue is the … Read More
Song of the Darling River
In these weather crazy times, I am reminded that drought, bush-fires and flash floods have plagued Australia for thousands of years. The famous Australian poet Henry Lawson, (1867-1922) wrote of such regular occurrences in 19th century Australia. Here’s an extract from his poem “Song of the Darling River.” The skies are brass and the plains are bare, Death and … Read More
Talking about Symbols…
I open my heart to you… THE LOTUS SYMBOL WHAT DOES IT MEAN? In my attempts at writing prose poetry this week, I became involved in symbols and their history. I start the discussion of symbols with the lotus flower as it is perhaps one of the best known international symbols. Where did the lotus symbology originate? The lotus … Read More
poem, tale, anecdote or flash?
“The furniture is like models of animals. You can see the dining room table as a kind of bull standing with its cows, the chairs. Or the easy chair with its footstool, the cow with its calf… And they live a life, as if a spirit world and this were overlapped, oblivious to the other. In moonlight these animals soften … Read More