sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: Under the Sea

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This week I was lucky enough to have a little holiday from work – and from the world, it seemed.  I headed to Rottnest Island (which in the local Noongyar language is called Wadjemup), and spent two days snorkelling, riding a bike and relaxing.  I especially wanted to snorkel at a place called Parker Point, on the other side of the island, and hired a bike specially. Last year I cheated and caught the tourist bus.

I got up super early and was the first one in the water. It was so worth it!  I’ve tried to write about it, although the poem is still a draft. And, if you have time, I have cobbled together a video from my gopro footage.  If I had more time I would have edited it better, but hopefully you’ll get a sense of the magic.

 

Wadjemup, Tuesday Morning

Six a.m

and holidaymakers

sleep still

in cottages

languidly enjoying

their break from reality.

But I

am far from my cottage

urging my bike

up hills much steeper than they appeared

from the windows of

the air conditioned bus.

At Parker Point

I stop

feeling sheepish

chaining the bike

when there’s no one else in sight

descend the stairs

and prepare

snorkels

flippers

rashie.

At the edge of the water

I pause

wondering at my sanity

to be here alone

so early.

Too late now

I commit

lunging forward inelegantly

over seagrass

darkly stirring

just inches from my face.

Within metres

I spot my first fish

and I feel myself

surrender

to the lure of the water

and its myriad treasures.

Later

as I float

in a school of silver

that seems to never end

I wonder, briefly,

if those cottage beds

are working the same magic

on those who’ve stayed abed.

(Poem Copyright Sally Murphy,2021)

 

Ruth is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup. If you drop by there, you might be brave enough to add a fact for the group poem.

Poetry Friday: Etheree trio

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Happy Friday! Last Friday, my Poetry Friday friend Linda shared  an etheree – a particular poetic form, where the first line has one syllable, the next line two and so on, all the way to ten. I had seen this form before but not played with it, but Linda’s lovely poem about her cat (you can see it here) inspired me to give it a go.

Another thing I’ve been inspired by this past year, is my beach visits. I have always found the beach restful and inspiring in equal measure, and in Covid times, those visits have taken on extra meaning. So, when I  decided to write an etheree and needed a single syllable word to begin with, there was only once choice. Here is what I came up with:

 

My Place

 

Beach

each day

different

one day calm, still

the next, crashing waves

one day leaping dolphins

next an exuberant seal

new sights, delights await each time

I visit; but one thing stays the same:

that beach never fails to make me wonder.

When I’d finished, I decided I’d like to also try my hand a reverse etheree – which starts with ten syllables and works back to one. I instantly wondered if I could take that last line of my first etheree and make it the first line of my reverse.  You can see I tweaked the first word, but here’s what came out:

Take Away

The beach never fails to make me wonder:

new sights and sounds on every visit

a seal, a dolphin, screeching gulls

gambolling dogs, chasing waves

that gently roll or else

loudly crash and bash.

So much to take

away when

home time

comes.

And then, just when I thought I was finished, I realised that I’d left something out – the people who share the beach with me. Nearly every day I see my beach-friend Dave, walking his dog Mitch, and there are other regulars – some I know by name, some I know by sight, and some people I see there just once.  And, of course, especially in the last year, I have loved sharing my beach through photos and videos shared here on my website and through social media, with people far and wide. It’s been a real privilege to share what I see, and to hear from people who have enjoyed those glimpses. So, one more etheree, again  begun with the last line of the one before

Sharing

Come

with me

and walk on

sandy shores and

see what I can see

hear what I am hearing

even if you are with me

only through a camera lens.

Technology bringing you along

makes my own experience much  richer.

Thanks Linda for inspiring me to try this form. I know I’ll be using it more – and sharing it in the classroom, too.

Thanks too to  Molly, who will be hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup. I can’t wait to see what new inspiration I collect from my fellow poets this week.

Poetry Saturday?

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I don’t usually post poems on a Saturday,  but yesterday as I did the Poetry Friday rounds, I came across Laura Shovan’s  February Poetry Project prompts and  decided that it was time I had a go at some.

The project offers a different prompt each day for the month, and the idea is to try to create a daily writing habit, even if only for the month, and of course to be inspired or challenged by the prompts.

The prompt for February First was ‘Bodies Dance’ and included three youtube dance clips.  I was especially inspired by the third of these, a scene from the movie White Nights. What I noticed was the way the two characters start to dance, a bit out of synch and then, gradually, their timing comes together.  That led to this poem:

Partners

I move this way

You do too

I do me

and you do you

and as we dance

and our eyes link

our movements meld

till they’re in synch.

We dance in tune

we dance in time

like a song we’re singing

like a poem we rhyme.

No one here

to stop and see

as you do you

and I do me.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy 2021)

 

The February 2 prompt, provided by Tricia Stohr Hunt was ‘Hands’ and, almost without having to stop and think, I started writing about my mum’s hands. I hope she doesn’t mind.

Hands

My mother’s hands

show signs of age

as if the years

of care

of toil

of wisdom

are written

on skin folds

and spots

and scars.

My granddaughter’s hands

show no such signs

instead

smooth

and plump

and kissable

but I hope

that they, too,

will one day

show signs

of a life well lived.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy 2021)

Thanks Laura for the prompts. If you want to have a go, you can head to Laura’s blog, and you’ll see the other prompts added each day over the month.  I’m off to see if I can catch up on the other prompts.

Poetry Friday: Sealing a Friendship

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It’s Poetry Friday and this week I have been lucky enough that, in a week of lockdown, I  have been able to keep up my beach walks in the one hour of exercise allowed.  My beach is always beautiful, and always different – no two visits are the same.

This week, there were some special surprises. On Tuesday I had an amazing dolphin encounter (you can see some footage in my post below). And then, because I thought that couldn’t be topped, Wednesday brought an even bigger surprise – a seal! 

Yes, there s/he was, just a couple of metres offshore, splashing and fishing and generally being amazing. Again, you can see some footage in the post below.

So, when I sat down to try to draft a new poem for Poetry Friday, it isn’t surprising that at least one of these creatures had to feature – and, this time, it was the seal.

 

Sealing a   Friendship    

I walked

you swam.

You waved

I waved back

the waves waved too.

I splashed for a closer look

you splashed

with joy.

You caught a fish

I caught your moves

on camera.

I strode

back along the beach

lighter for our meeting.

You swam away

heavy with fish.

I like to think

the  smile beneath my mask

mirrored your smile

beneath the water.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)

 

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup will be hosted by Jone. Swim over there to see what goodies my poetic friends have shared today. I’ll pop in there too – after I’ve had my Friday walk where I know there’ll be more wonders. 

Lockdown Seal

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Yesterday I posted about an amazing dolphin encounter.  Today the water was a little choppier, and I knew it was unlikely I would see such action again, as the dolphins are harder to spot on choppy days.  And I was right, I did not see a single dolphin this morning. But what I did see took my breath away. I had heard of  a lone seal visiting my beach, or a little south of it, but had never been lucky enough to spot it.

 

Today was my lucky day! Just before my turnaround point, the seal was there, fishing, very very close to shore.  You can see it throwing its fish around. And, about 3 minutes 40 in, you can see its reaction when a dog barks.

What a way to start day 3 of lockdown. Yet again I’m counting my blessings that my one hour of exercise is at my local beach.

 

Lockdown Dolphins

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Greetings from lockdown.  In Western Australia we are on day 2 of a five day snap  Covid 19 lockdown.

I am lucky enough to  have the best beach in the world (imho) at the end of my street and, with one hour of exercise outside the home allowed each day, you might guess where I would exercise. And, this morning, I was extra lucky to have an amazing dolphin encounter while I walked.  A pod of dolphins just a few metres off shore, flipping and splashing and even some leaps. There was at least one baby dolphin  (calf) in the group, and I suspect some teaching was happening. Amazing!

Back home, I shared some snippets on my personal Facebook and Instagram accounts, but later, I decided to splice them together into one video. Here then, if you need some beach peace – or some dolphin excitement – is what I saw:

I’m still smiling when  I think of my morning.  Wherever you are in the world, and especially if you, too, are in lockdown, I hope this dolphin magic makes you smile, too.