Since I was 19 years old I’ve been passionate about ending prohibition of drugs. This book is the result of three years of living in Nimbin where the effects of the drug was and prohibition are obvious and shoved in your face daily.
Poetry to End Prohibition Nimbin Mardi Grass 2017
These effects caused by the systemic violence of the antiquated policy of drug prohibition include state violence, violence in the streets and massive amounts of self abuse and denial because of “fear of truth” and lack of harm reduction policy and programs.
So, if you want a free book to read on one of the most important health policy changes that can be implemented this year in 2020 then you need to read this and send a copy to every politician that you know because it is FREE and we need to make a change.
To celebrate 420 day.
I am giving away FREE my 3rd poetry book in the “Love and Lust in Nimbin” series for you
To celebrate the release of “Love in Nimbin Edition 2” I am giving it away for FREE as an ebook for 5 days from 13th of March 2020 to the 17th of March 2020.
It started on a Friday in a land not far away and the idea spread like wildfire and they began anew that day.
He stood up in a market place and read out his idea
“Lets Unify the Whole Planet and make all borders disappear”
“Let’s eliminate all scarcity and ensure a more than a basic wage”
“Let’s have a single Global Currency for Living, commerce and trade”
“Let’s eliminate all Nations, Passports, Visas, Border Walls”
“Let’s close all the armies, navies, airforces too and have no weapons at all”
And as he planted seeds his crowd it grew and grew
until the Whole World was listening not just one or two
He said, Everyone can have free energy, renewable and then we all will thrive
“When we end all governments will be a great day to be alive”
“Do no harm and nurture all and simplify all laws”
“Support and love all people and lift up all the poor”
Have a governance of things based on compassion and doing no harm
Then all people can live in love without fear, in security, without alarm”
Let’s make all food organic, all medicine for free,
free public transport, free schools and homes and life will be easy
“All people just want love, security, happiness and compassion
To create a life of love where all can thrive and live in passion
One Friday afternoon the man stood up and said
He told them his Ideas and world wide they spread
The following poetry was written by James Arthur Warren AKA Thundercloud in memory of Daniel Walmsley, victim of prohibition. Early one morning, the day before the Nimbin Mardi Grass cannabis law reform protestival I walked outside in the dark as the first light was coming. I heard the tawny frogmouth and listened. Then I went inside and wrote down what came to mind. This happened two more times and now I present the words of the wise owl to you.
There is an indigenous belief that tawny frogmouths are messengers of the dead. This spirit bird crowed three times, before the roosters and the kookaburra early in the morning. When the cock crows three times the truth is told.
The Tawny Frogmouth On Prohibition
The tawny frogmouth came to me very late last night
It was very early morning and it spoke very quiet
“I’ve something important to say and this is my position
Humans will not be free until you END PROHIBITION
I’m a tawny frogmouth owl and I see your frustration
With the punitive justice drug war of incarceration
77,000 non criminal users each year locked and jailed
And crime rates have risen the drug war has failed
80 percent of the injustice system is wasted each year
Locking up people for flowers you people are queer
It is obvious to all that prohibition has failed
When you can harm minimise and empty half the jails
Make access safe and clean drugs a right
Save billions of taxpayers dollars overnight
The police could focus on violent crime
Harm minimisation means there’s less people dying
Harm minimisation means that you support the abusers
Educate and rehabilitate the hard drug abusers
Less Overdoses and violent crime gangs will fade away
Grow herbs freely at home, juice cannabis each day
It is obvious to us that you must End Prohibition
Call all politicians today is your mission
And explain all the benefits of ending the war
On drugs, children, the sick, elderly and poor
Write emails, make videos, protest and shout
End prohibition, let the prisoners out
Time to end prohibition and the drug war
On the socially vulnerable, sick, black and poor
It makes me so mad I’m usually so quiet
Said the tawny frogmouth, I want to sleep now it’s light
The Tawny Frogmouth part 2
The tawny frogmouth came to me early in the morning
As the clouds turned red, as the sun was dawning
The wise old owl hooted and the words he spoke were true
“I’m a tawny frogmouth owl, this is what you need to do”
“Write down what I tell you, what I have to say,
It’s time you humans ended all drug prohibition today
Us tawny frogmouth owls are spirits of the dead
Who died from overdoses and systemic violence” he said
“I know you find it weird and difficult to believe
But tawny frogmouth owls are loved ones that you grieve”
“That is why I’m here with my message for you
Ending Prohibition will save loved ones lives it’s true
I’m a tawny frogmouth owl and I really give a hoot
Prohibition harms but harm minimization is beaut”
I stood there quietly listening to what the wise owl said
“End all prohibition and harm minimization instead
When you end all prohibition everything will be alright
Maybe then” the tawny frogmouth said, “I’ll get some sleep at night”
A kookaburra came in the light of early morning
“Listen to the tawny frogmouth, listen to his warning”
“To end all prohibition and empty half the jails
Change your outdated laws because prohibition has failed”
The kookaburra flew off laughing “Prohibition is a failure”
End all prohibition, hurry up Australia”
The Tawny Frogmouth part 3
The tawny frogmouth owl came to me again
Said, “I’ve got a very important message for you my friend
I’ve come to visit you early in the morning
Because you are the one who will sound my warning
We wise owls think you humans are very strange
You seem so conservative and reluctant to embrace change
Your outdated laws are causing much frustration
Time to End Prohibition and change this situation
It isn’t rocket science in fact is plain to see
That your prohibition laws take people’s rights to be
Healthy, free and happy and lock them in a prison
Jails full of poor and black, incarceration rates have risen
Mummy went to jail, Nana went there too
All because of the herbal cannabis they grew
Prohibition is an attack on human rights
It is such an injustice, I have trouble sleeping at night
Humans do you get it? I do I’m an owl
Adopt harm minimization and end prohibition now
Prohibition is social manipulation, slavery in disguise
Prohibition causes violent crime to rise
When prohibition exists people live in fear
Of truth and being caught, imprisoned for a year
Please call your politicians the tawny frogmouth said
When you harm minimise, I can go to bed
Please reconsider your perspective on prohibition of drugs
Free the plants and herbs and undercut the thugs
When you end prohibition there will be a reduction in crime
With harm minimization, there will be less parents crying
When you end prohibition billions of dollars will be saved
Less cops, prisons, lawyers, deaths, more health and happiness every day
I have nearly finished, I’ll try to have a sleep
But I find it very difficult because I often weep
For the victims of the drug war, those overdosed and dead
Brothers, sisters, children’s deaths preventable he said
I’m a tawny frogmouth owl and there is something you must do
Harm minimise, end prohibition now what I’m saying is true
Everyone can see prohibition is a failure
End prohibition now change is good Australia
There is one more thing, you cannot waste your vote
Put a 1 next to the HEMP PARTY in the Senate when you vote.”
#auspol #EndProhibition #MinimiseHarm #Vote1HEMP
Thundercloud’s book End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin
has been updated and added to in this
2020
This poem and many more are available in my newest book Poetry to End Prohibition 420 2020 edition which I am currently crowd funding to print and release the book by the 20th of April 2020 in time for the 420 international day of protest against prohibition.
James Arthur Warren (BSc AES, GCTSL, MTESOL)
AKA Thundercloud Repairian
email:1english1@gmail.com
Writer, poet, performer and finalist in the 2019 Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Competition
Photo: Tawny Frogmouth in front of Atlantis by James Arthur Warren https://www.instagram.com/1english1video/
Read on to find out about my newest book End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin Mardi Grass 2019 released especially for the cannabis law reform rally in Nimbin, New South Wales, Australia,
I arrived in Nimbin in early May 2017 for Mardi Grass and met another newcomer to Nimbin by the name of Daniel Walmsley. Daniel was a kind young man in his mid twenties and talented artist who had just received an arts grant. He was excited to be able to do what he loved and be paid for it. Unfortunately for Daniel he overdosed and choked in his vomit early one Saturday morning. I happened to be going for an early morning walk when I came across a nurse trying to resuscitate Daniel and gave assistance
The following poem is dedicated to the memory of Daniel and all the victims of the “War on drugs” which is really a war on people who were not able to get safe doses when they were self medicating because of the punitive justice system which puts “users” in to “fear of truth”, hiding their addictions and unable to get assistance in recovery. Daniel Walmsley
It started on a cold Friday
The drumming circle, dance and play
All the families gathered around
Barefoot on the cold hard ground
Drummers drumming having fun
Stomping feet down goes the sun
Fires burning in the parks
Shooting stars and burning sparks
Rhythmic hands all beat it out
The drumming circle dance about
Nimbin on a Friday night
Drum and dance by fire light
They bring their drums out to the street
Where dancing feet move to the beat
Dreadlocks smokes it clean and green
He beats his blue drum with the team
Down by the fire at the Oasis
There’s lots of friends and friendly faces
Try this hit, it won’t hurt you
He overdoses and starts to spew
Starts the walk to hospital
“I’m OhDee-ing” He starts to call
Falls down to the cold hard ground
In his vomit starts to drown
Nurse and passers by all thump
On his heart they start to pump
“Call an ambulance” they cry
“Daniel, Daniel, please don’t die
CPR the people start
Giving breath and pumping heart
Police and ambulance arrived
For forty five minutes we all tried
Sun comes up cold Saturday
Daniel’s soul flies away
Leaving behind broken hearts
Drawing and paintings of Daniel’s arts
Overdosed on cold concrete
Laying dead with cold bare feet
End prohibition right now, today
Harm minimisation saves lives we say
Laying on the cold hard ground
His heart stopped and just shut down
His life might be a memory
End prohibition for safety
Thundercloud’s new book End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin Mardi Grass 2019
Dedicated to the memory of Daniel Walmsley
Specially produced for Mardi Grass, I have copies of my new book now available, End Prohibition Poetry Nimbin Mardi Grass 2019 for $10+$2.50 postage in Australia.
It’s only available directly from me so send me an email 1english1@gmail.com if you would like a copy or pop in to fantAsian Eatery Nimbin to pick up a copy.
Sample
If you were the parent of a child who was sick would you give cannabis to your son named Rick?
If you were a wife of a man with cancer would you give cannabis as a life enhancer?
If you were a doctor and you knew a cure, pharmaceutical poisons or a herb that’s pure?
If a harmless herb can heal many people why is it registered, licensed, illegal?
The Banjo Paterson Bush Poetry Festival in Orange, New South Wales begins on the 17th of February. There are a number of events happening throughout Orange and the surrounding district until the 24th of February 2019.
Events include The Banjo Paterson Bush Poetry Competition which I am entering a poem titled “Our Darling is Dying”. There is also Rotary Brekky and Poetry on the Pavers as well as Poetry in the Pub featuring the Poet’s Brawl. In the poets brawl, poets have one minute to deliver any original poem, bush, slam, rhyming, non-rhyming but must use both the words “Banjo” and “Orange”.
“Andy Banjo Player” is the poem I have written for the “poets brawl”, tell me what you think in the comments.
Andy played a banjo with an orange and he played it very bad
It made a juicy squishy sound and it drove his mother mad
Orange juice went everywhere and pith and peel too
The ants came by the millions and the fruit flies flew
He played with so much gusto and a lot of zeal
Grated it and juiced, he was left with orange peel
Only when he ran out of juice did Andy’s playing stop
So he ran out to a fruit stall and bought a kilo from the shop
Playing “Orange Crush”, the song from REM
Played every single orange till he’d juiced all of them
Bottled it and marketed it and only told the truth
Under the trade make of Andy’s Banjo Orange Juice
Copyright 2019
If you like this poetry and want to read more please follow me or you can also find me on Youtube at 1english1video
There are times especially when I meditate that poetry downloads occur which present basic truths in their simplicity. In fact it seems to me that most fundamental truths are simple, such as the hermetic principle of cause and effect. Often the statements and poetry are transformational realisations that come when I am meditating on someone with “stuck” thinking patterns that are causing pain. Recently there have been a few poems which are this way so I’m just going to dump them below in no particular order for your pondering pleasure.
De-pollution “Contrails or chem-trails the humidity is high Here in the mountains as jets cross the sky
Streaky like bacon in a sky cyan and azure
Whether contrails or chem-trails, neither are pure
Condensate clouds form to droplets of rain
With la Nina this rain brings flood and pain
Thunderclouds rolling across the down under
Desert plains greened after storm thunder
Washing away garbage, change left behind
Baggage is lost for a new state of mind
Normal never was exposed by rat test
Stress brings opportunity to become your best
Mooganar Thundercloud Lightning and rain
Rainbows bring opportunity for growth again” Thundercloud quotes
Fear of fear
Is fear of avocadoes called avophobia?
Did someone locked in a closet get claustrophobia?
Androphobia is fear of men, not only Andrew. Angropbobia is fear of anger but fear of thunder and fear of lightning is astraphobia not thunderphobia or lightningphobia.
What about fear of door-knockers? Jehovahphobia?Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is obviously fear of long words. Invented by a troll.
Where’s my phone? Nomophobia. Fear of not having your phone…….. Venustraphobia is not as it seems but fear of beautiful women. While witches and witchcraft are obviously wiccaphobia.
Zuigerphobia isn’t quite so self explanatory, it kind of sucks, like fear of vacuum cleaners.
What about a fear of fear? Phobiaphobia…
Or does it cancel itself out because it is a double negative and become
Love
All
“There is no beginning because something always happened before.
There is no end because something will always happen after the end
If you close a door, you’re on one side of the door
When you walk around a corner you have gone around a bend
We can see only a fraction of the whole spectrum of light
We can only hear a fraction of the whole spectrum of sound
Without our filters it would be a bright and noisy nigh
We are connected as one with everything and all the energy around”
And now for something completely different
Life is about spirit
some won’t want to listen or hear it
but you can lift yourself up if you employ
a new attitude to life of acceptance, bliss, peace, joy
Decide get up from the lower negative emotional vibration
Release trauma from within and relax into Iration
Connect your heart and third eye to begin creation
Do everything or nothing with this information
Man, woman, other, girl or boy
POET
Poet once tried to describe the beauty of the entire Earth
Every day Poet wrote of poetry of lush green mountains filled with cotton wool Mist
Valleys filled with raging rivers and puffy clouds
Great walls and tiny fleas,
Rocks
Pebbles
Stones crystals and jewels
The flight of a raven
A murder of crows
Pyramids, Pythagoras and pixies
Brumbies and ponies running though the snow
Poet awoke each day in amazement and when Poet read their own poetry they thought of more beauty of the Earth that had not yet been written
Waterwalls tall and narrow, wide and raging
Autum colours
Bare skeletal branches in winter
Daffodils in spring
A golden sand beach with footprints
Walking along a path with sand between the toes
The taste of rain water
When poet though of how incredible the Earth is,
Poet’s heart was so filed with love for Earth that tears of joy welled up
often
This only inspired Poet more
For many years Poet wrote
But every day there was more
Jungles with vines, jaguars, anaconda
Pandas eating bamboo
Deserts, tundra and plains
Jagged peaks, gentle rolling green hills
White, red, yellow, brown cliffs
And more
But each day Poet awoke
Began to write
With gratitude
Thankyou for this planet
With the fresh blue air
For the water and the sun
The ocean to wash my hair
The rivers forests trees
Monkey, rainbows and bumble bees
Rivers rocks, fjords and lochs
Poet traveled far and wide to see the Earth
This only inspired Port more
Poet climbed hills swam oceans, reefs and with colourful coral fish
And wrote about it all.
One day Poet awoke
Poet walked out side
Poet had no pen or paper
Walked into the green field
Lay down
Watched a butterfly emerge from a cocoon
It was large, black with shimmerimg green, blues and violet patches in its wings
Poet closed their eyes
And relaxed
The ants and crows quickly devoured
Most of the flesh
And the maggots the rest
Poet lived a very very long life
More than 900 years
But Poet’s poetry lasted
… Forever.
Progress
“If you keep doing the same thing every day, very little about you will change, There will be minimal progress, improvement or personal development without habit change.
Your life will become mediocre, with resentment, self loathing and hate, but if you set a goal with passion and take action everyone can be great” Thundercloud Quotes, 2022
Extra Comments on Progress: “If you don’t imagine a better life and change your situation, then you’ll be resentful, angry, and live life in frustration”
“Every human has potential for continuous growth and creation, if they’d believe in themselves they can create any situation”
“The words we use to describe ourselves are true from our own perspective, so we must change the things we say about ourselves if we want to be self directive.”
Just last night as I was going to bed, sitting there meditating I had a flash of an idea. I just remembered it so here goes.
Its a Poetry Dump
Wind chill factor
There’s no point yelling at the wind There’s no point crying about the rain The humidity, the heat or cold All weather comes again
The wind will blow on all of us Sometime in life we all have pain Rise to challenges don’t make a fuss You need to scrub to remove a stain
Cold exposure makes you stronger Wind, hail, rain and snowy weather Attitude determines who lives longer Loving souls memories live for ever
Light in dark and dark in light Without fear without frustration Sunrise and sets the day and night Gratitude for all situations
As one ends another cycle begins Nothing resting, vibrations and flow Yin Yang reflect fraternal twins It’s always cold when there’s snow
I won’t cry that the black swans fly Droughts break when it rains Snow comes in black clouds in the sky There are times you must unblock drains
6 Sigma
“Strength has flexibility, power, agility and speed. Fleas bit dinosaurs on the nose, eyes and knees If you’re dedicated, consistent, take an extra step each day Make adjustments and improvements in every single way Delayed gratification to achieve a long term goal and plan Of Personal development to become a six sigma man”
Non-Sense
“Sometimes you have to be prepared to say THAT’S NONSENSE and then just walk away” Thundercloud Quotes
Passion for Poetry
I have developed a passion for poetry. Each word written is a seed Sowed in a forest of minds growing trees
Awake and asleep I fashion my poetry Affecting those who read Prose, some meter, and rhymes flow free
The poets of the past all speak to me Metaphor that heal or bleed Graphic depiction of crimes historically
Cathartic affecting all emotionally Unshackled truth becomes freed Prophetic, grammatical, syntactic poetry
I’m just a poet bird in a big poet tree Into my head poetry I feed I defecate poetry and piss poetry
Cook it in my mind, consume poetry Poetry I love, crave and need Poetry is a healthy obsession for me
A Kick
On the National Register of Unremarkable People There’s men named John, Paul, Steve, Jim, Peter Women named Jessie , Chrissy, Shelly, Kate, Sharon Barbara, Mary, Sarah, Kate and of course Karen
Every night the Unremarkable People all get pissed When they pass away we celebrate they are not missed With Unremarkable lives they contribute a little bit But mostly leech off others, watch TV, smartphones or sit.
The Unremarkable People have all been heaven sent As example how not to live and how life shouldn’t be spent Hedonistic drifters without plans in self dug holes As opposed to planned success and achieving goals
But you can be remarkable if you take some action Proactive plans with goals and passion always makes traction With a definite purpose you’ll be successful and achieve Anything you imagine with action and self belief.
Interesting
“Life is a set of ( brackets) within an infinite soul, growth of spirit is the goal. Life is an adventure not to be missed. Ascending spirits pass through peace, joy and bliss. Life can be boring or interesting. It’s all your a free choice and that’s the best thing. ” Thundercloud Quotes
Cho-Zen
“The world can make you laugh or the world can make you cry, Feed you, and nurture you, the world can make you die You can be a boy, girl, man, woman, other, cat, monkey, hen Do you let the world affect you or wash over you, be zen.” Thundercloud quotes
Beware of the Goat
I went for a ride on my trike tonight There were so many different animals in flight
Oh goodness me, SH. T and F#CK I just got hit by a low flying duck
Next thing I know, yes it’s true I got hit by a flying goose too
After that I thought they were gone. When I rode into a flying black swan
At the last moment from the corner of my eye I ducked as along came a Magpie
Next thing, I don’t know how, I got hit by a swooping cow
Things got crazy and rather big When I got hit by a flying pregnant pig
Then a flying hippopotamus, a flying rhinoceros Then the rain fell down and washed away the lot of us
From the sky fell a million green frogs After that it was raining cats and dogs
Animals were raining everywhere Falling from the sky into my hair
An idea flashed, I knew what to do, I put a fence up and built a zoo
You’re welcome to visit if you like I’ll take you for a tour on my trike
But please be very careful in the zoo Not to tread in elephant poo.
One last thing, bring a rain coat He doesn’t swoop but there’s a pissing flying goat
There is an African parable about a farmer who sells his farm to go searching for diamonds which he never finds meanwhile the man who bought his farm find diamonds on the very farm that the first man sold.
There's a little patch of calm in an ocean of panic
Selling off the family farm our farmer is a tragic
He going on a search for a diamond studded land
When he finds his fortune, won't his life be grand?
Searching high and low will he ever find his treasure?
One day will he know a life of wealth and pleasure?
Trodding up and down on the search for Easy Street
He's a desk jockey and clown, the betting house his beat
Why he sold the farm many thought he was insane
Depressed and without charm, going down the drain
Never found his fortune, he's going off his head
Life never played his tune, and he ended up dead
In an Ocean of panic there's a little patch of calm
Where Farmer Obananic bears the work of his new bought farm
Working hard, tills the field and carries water from the creek
So he gets a good crop yield and just the other week
He was walking in the creek and found a shiny rock
He forgot it for a week because he stored it in his sock
But he showed it to a friend who told him what he found
The farm he bought had acres of diamonds lying round.
So the moral of the story, just stop and look around
You may just have a priceless antique sitting on the ground
And even better you've the brains to do what's in your head
Find your little patch of calm and don't panic or be dead
You've everything you need to create a life of thrival
Or you can look externally and live life in survival
Chasing rainbow ends, find hail and slime on
Or STOP. Look around you're sitting on diamonds.
I heard this story earlier in the week and decided to rewrite it in poetry rhyming couplet form. I have been also contemplating how this story might apply to my life. What diamonds am I sitting on? Rare books? Antiques?
AhHa! My unpublished poetry? My unpublished children’s books like Happy Harry Koala? The Australian Poetry Hall of Fame? All the above and more. Yes it is true, which makes me think “I’d better create some products from my writing and art. I’m sitting on acres of diamonds”
“I am a creator, I am creative, creating is how us creative creators live.
Creative creators live and love to create artistic expressions of beauty that’s great,
Creative creators lift cultures up higher with cultural evolution that they inspire
Creator open our hearts and fill them with love inspired by love and also from above” Thundercloud Repairian Quotes
Thundercloud at Wednesday Words Open Mic night in front of the Australian Poetry Hall of Fame mural by Tony Amaral
I will be the first to admit that I am a creative creator. Whether it is poetry, writing, art, sculpture, cooking or “whatever,” I love doing it. My current BIG creation is the Australian Poetry Hall of Fame in Guyra. It is a multifaceted project with a cafe, a Poet’s Hall of Fame, an art gallery, and more. It is like having a giant working studio in a theatre. For example yesterday I wrote a piece of poetry, wrote a blog post, painted some of the mural on the stage, cooked pumpkin soup and bread, did some graphic design. At the end of the day I recorded 54 minutes of poetry to facebook and then uploaded it to Youtube. That reminds me of what this blog post is about…….Creating.
I opened the Australian Poetry Hall of Fame in Guyra in March 2020 on the first day of COVID-19 lockdown so I quickly had to reevaluate my business plan which had included many live events. In June 2020, I began the Guyra Farmers and Craft Market at the Australian Poetry Hall of Fame providing an outlet for local artisans and crafty people to sell their wares. I also began weekly, Wednesday Words Open Mic Poetry Night. There were nights during lockdown in 2021 where I was the only one in attendance so I began broadcasting it on Facebook live. My good friend and patron Gladys Wilson has been a major supporter of the open mic night and also the Australian Poetry Hall of Fame in general. From Gladys, my first follower, I have grown a group of more than a dozen regular poets attending the open mic night. Now Wednesday Words Open Mic Poetry night has followers all around the world who tune in to the live Facebook broadcast or who catch up once it is uploaded to Youtube.
The most rewarding part of this creation is that I have inspired new people to create, not only poetry but also art and by stocking the only art supplies in Guyra, I am also enabling creators. Gladys Wilson has now written over 12 pieces of poetry, Doug Scott has begun writing and Gabriel Donleavy said that he has now been inspired to write more.
I am grateful. I am grateful for the opportunity to create but also the opportunity to facilitate and inspire other creators. As the economy becomes more and more robotised and mechanised the creative economy grows where people can make a living from their creations and innovations. We need creative people.
Listening to a music for writing playlist. A tray full of pumpkin, onion and tomatoes roasts in preparation for the next round of pumpkin soup to warm the core. Inspired to take moments away from other more pressing and productive chores and creative pursuits. It is autumn, 13 degrees Celcius outside and drizzly intermittent showers blow in and out. This is not the kind of weather that I would like to be a stockman on a horse.
I am now listening to a beautiful piece of classical music by Litvinovsky – Pelléas and Mélisande: I. Ils étaient comme des enfants. In English that translates to “They were like children,” and that reminds me what I am doing-writing.
For the time is often filled with trivialities and chores so in order to write, one must make writing opportunities. I live where I work, an old theatre one called the “Arcadia Theatre” but now home to the “Australian Poetry Hall in Fame” in Guyra, Banbai/Kamilaroi country. Living where I work and working where I live has both positive and negative aspects. One of the negatives is that it’s easy to fill the time with work and drudgery. The positive is that I have at hand a whole space in which to follow creative pursuits, a big child’s garden, in which to nurture the soul and the spirit and remind oneself that life is for enjoyment not suffering.
One of the simplest pleasures is writing. That’s why it is worth creating opportunities to write. Have a note book handy, write on a smart phone write on a computer to create a piece of literary art which echoes down through the eons for future readers to unearth nuggets of gold. Writing is not everyone’s cup of tea but for me it is a well drawn cup of Barry’s Irish tea with a dash of milk and the teabag left in.
Two hours after I began writing this piece the last third of a mug of tea is lukewarm but still strong tasty and drinkable, the pumpkin soup is blended and ready to serve and numerous interruptions have passed. These interruptions include Mediterranean field mushroom cups, avocado on toast, three glasses of fresh pressed juice and a delivery of an old radio, record player and a slide projector. The rain has definitely set in and I still do not envy the stockman Clancy of the Overflow on his horse in the rain.
Simple pleasures are life’s treasures like classical music on a rainy day
Simple pleasures are beyond measure, no price can be put upon play
Simple pleasures are diamonds of leisure, in a warm room writing away
Earlier this week I wrote a piece of poetry about a man who does all the enjoyable things twice but if it causes him pain then he goes and does something which he enjoys. The poem is simple titled “Double Dan”
Double Dan
There is a happy man who does everything twice
If it brings him joy and makes him feel nice
But if it makes him sad, feel horrible and mad
He doesn’t repeat it, he does things that make him feel glad.
He skied down a hill and skied down a hill again
Then he parachuted once and a second time my friend
He swam with a crocodile and a great white shark
Then he went and danced at a festival in a park
He rode a camel across a desert and then he rode it back
Twice took a submarine into a deep ocean floor crack
Then then he watched a horror movie and couldn’t crack a smile
So he played a game football with his friends for a while
If it makes him feel good he’ll do it one more time
He climbed a mountain twice to feel twice sublime
But he’ll only do it once if he shits his pants
Then to feel better he’ll play football or dance
There is a man named Double Dan, who’s a happy man
He does the fun things twice just because he can
But he’s no twit and if it makes him feel like shit
He’ll change what he’s doing and never repeat it.
There is a lot that I could write about doing the things that you love and not repeating unpleasant or harmful experiences. However time is limited. It is now 3:30pm and I have been writing this piece of content for over 5 hours. There are days where I want to write more than I have time for and when I have not written anything for a few days I start to get concerned that I am not being productive enough as a writer. The fact is that it’s not the writing that I don’t do enough of, it’s the publishing. It’s the part of the creative process where nothing new is written and the formatting, editing, uploading to Amazon etc. and it all seems like too much work. So I procrastinate, avoid and do the easier, simpler things like cook pumpkin soup or write a poem.
This week is the second birthday of the Australian Poetry Hall of Fame in Guyra, a place to celebrate poets past, present and emerging. There is always something to do and much more to be done so it is easy to be distracted and forget to write. However, April is the month of #TheDirtyThirty challenge on facebook. This is where we are challenged every day with a prompt to write a piece of poetry. I am looking forward to it as there is nothing as rewarding as creating a piece of random poetry from a random prompt.
2022
Thundercloud Repairian 