sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: I Did It

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Last Friday I posted about the Busselton Jetty and my plan to swim around it. It’s been such a hectic week that I haven’t come back to share how I went. So, given that it’s Poetry Friday, I thought I might tell you in verse:

The weather was grey

The ocean was choppy

It rolled and it swayed

But I’d planned for so long

For this one special day

When the starter said ‘go’

I was off and away.

AND
I did it I did it

I swam all the way

I did it I did it

So hip hip hooray!

 

So yes, I managed the 3.6km swim, in a time of 77 minutes and, as you might guess from the photo, I was left elated but also a wee bit exhausted. the water was rougher than expected – a storm front had come through in the days leading up to the swim, and apparently these were the worst conditions there’d been in the race’s history. But my training paid off and I stuck to my rhythm – the same rhythm I’ve tried to use in the poem. So, although I swallowed about half the ocean, I felt pretty good doing it. Good enough that I’ll be going back for another go next year.

Have a great Poetry Friday. The roundup today  will be hosted by Check It Out, so if you want lots more poetry goodness, head over there to see what everyone else is posting.

January Reading

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This year I am hoping to keep track of my reading with a monthly round up of what I’ve read. I’m only to count picture books if it’s the first time I’ve read them, and I’ve reviewed them. As I read poetry every day, but tend to dip and out of books, I’ll only record collections/anthologies which I have read cover to cover.

Anyway, as January draws to a close, here’s what I’ve read, grouped by age range or format. Where I’ve reviewed the book, I am linking the title to the review, which means you’ll get a bit of a blurb direct from the review. .

 

Picture Books

Molly & Mae, by Danny Parker & Freya Blackwood

The Silent Owl, by Sam McPhillips (ill) & Clemency Pearce

 

Younger Readers

Lola's Toy Box: Party at Cuddleton Castle, by Danny Parker

Freedom Swimmer, by Wai Chim

Skyfire, by Michael Adams

When the Lyrebird Calls, by Kim Kane

Star of Deltora: The Hungry Isle, by Emily Rodda

 

Young Adult

Paladero, by Steven Lochran

 

Within These Walls, by Robyn Bavati

Poetry

One Minute till Bedtime, Kenn Nesbitt (ed)

Adult Fiction

Wild Island, by Jennifer Livett

 

The Museum of Modern Love, by Heather Rose

The Fence, by Meredith Jaffe

The Safest Place in London, by Maggie Joel

The Love of a Bad Man, by Laura Elizabeth Woollett

That’s it for January – fifteen books. What have you been reading? I’d love to hear your recommendations.

Wonderful Wednesday

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Friends.

Friends.

It is – finally – starting to look and feel like Spring in my part of the world. This morning I walked bare foot on the beach, with my feet in the water. There were dolphins swimming just off shore, dogs playing on the beach, and fellow walkers smiling as broadly as I was. And I felt happy and grateful to be alive.

If you are a regular visitor here, you might notice that I don’t post a lot about my personal life, but my sense of contentment this morning inspired me to write a bit this post. Those who know e well know it’s been a bit a tough year for me – I lost my beautiful sister, I’ve had niggling (but thankfully minor) health issues, other people close to me have had health battles, and I’ve been a bit stressed about deadlines and stuff.

But on a beautiful day like today, I’m reminded of the importance not to discount those sorrows but, at the same time, to find things to be grateful for and happy about. So, today, here’s what makes me feels blessed:

  1. The family I was born into, the family I married into, the family my beloved and I have created, and the families our children are growing. Four generations of love and laughter – and chaos.
  2. The sunshine, and the ocean, and the fact I can enjoy both.
  3. Friends, near and far, who always seem to pop up at just the right moments.

 

Hmm. Maybe I’ll make  regular thing of sharing my blessings. It makes me smile even more when I put them into words.

 

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Poetry Friday: The Cookie Thief

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Yesterday, I visited my parentsfor the day and, for the first time in a looooong time I helped my mum make biscuits (cookies, as some of you might call them). Actually, Mum made the mixture, but I helped her roll them into balls ready for baking, a task made easier with two of us to work through the huge batch. I thought I would come home and write about it, but after cooking making I helped in the garden, then came home exhausted and now it’s Poetry Friday and the poem isn’t written, so instead I went searching for this poem, which I like and thought was worth sharing.

For my labours, I managed to bring home some of those delicious cookies., so maybe they will still inspire me to write my own poem.

 

Have a great Friday. Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Karen Edmiston.

Toppling!

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My character John (from Toppling) loves domino toppling. But I’m not sure he has ever created a topple as awesome as this one:

Hevesh5 is amazing. Maybe one day, John. Maybe one day.

topplinghighres

I’m Baaack!

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My apologies for the lack of regular posts this past month. Bookweek hit me! And, in author-land, Bookweek is rarely just one week – and, in fact, for me it’s been four weeks, visiting schools and libraries in regional Western Australia, metro Perth, as well as Townsville. I also presented at the ALEA/ACMI State Conference in Melbourne.

I’m back at my desk now, working hard on caching up, and there will lots of new posts in the next few weeks. It’s great to be back.

Reading fro Sage Cookson's Sweet Escape at Adam Road Primary in Bunbury.

Reading fro Sage Cookson’s Sweet Escape at Adam Road Primary in Bunbury.

sallymurphy.com.au