sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

What I Read in February

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Another update on my reading for the year. February was a busy busy month – my first speaking engagements for the year, working on a PhD, which is getting closer to completion, and some academic work, as well as my first ever big swim and more. So I finished less books this month, though I probably read more journal articles and individual poems. Anyway, here’s the ten I’m counting for the month. As in January, where I have reviewed them, I have linked to the review. Where I haven’t, I’ve linked them to where they an be found online.

Picture Books 

Small Things, by Mel Tregonning

Crusts, by Danny Parker & Matt Ottley

Radio Rescue, by Jane Jolly & Robert Ingpen

What Do they Do With All The Poo, by Anh Do & Laura Wood

Poetry Collections

Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson, edited by Susan Snively, illustrated by Christine Davenier

Young Adult

Goldenhand, by Garth Nix

Before You Forget, by Julia Lawrinson

Adult Fiction

Sapphire Falls, by Fiona McDonald

On the Blue Train, by Kristel Thornell

Non Fiction

The Pleasure of the Text, by Roland Barthes (translated by Richard Miller)

How Writing Works, by Roslyn Petelin

 

 

Poetry Friday: Walking the Dolphins

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Every Friday I have to drop my son at work very early. this is a good excuse for me to have an early morning beach walk – usually at my favourite dolphin-spotting beach. The dolphins dictate how far I walk, because if there are no dolphins (which is rare) I just walk the length of the beach and turn around again. But if they’re there, I tend to walk further, but will change my direction regularly so I can keep them in sight and find it hard to leave the beach while there are dolphins in sight. After these walks I often tell my family I’ve been ‘walking the dolphins’ and, of course, this has lead to a poem.

 

Look closely – there are two dolphins INSIDE the wave, having a ride.

Walking the Dolphins

Some people like to walk their dogs

I see them in the park

From early in the morning

Until late, long after dark.

 

Some dogs on leads; others romp

Or fetch a stick or ball

Some owners watch their dogs from seats

Not walking much at all.

 

Me? I walk the dolphins

The pooches of the sea

Up and down the beach I go

And dolphins follow me

 

I’m on the sand, they’re further out

But I watch them swim and play

Some times they jump and flap about

And sometimes gently sway

 

I hardly note how far I’ve walked

Up and down the shore

Watching cetaceous friends cavort

Just leaves me wanting more

 

And later on it comes to me

As I turn back from the sea

It’s not me that’s been walking them

But they that have walked me.

 

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy 2017)

 

In case you you haven’t seen it before, here’s my favourite bit of video of one of ‘my’ dolphins coming closer to say hello.

 

Have a great Friday. Today’s Poetry Friday Round Up is hosted by Karen Edmisten. SO, to read lots more poetry goodness, head over there.

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.

Poetry Friday: The Jetty

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Back in September and October I took a couple of long walks. Actually, I take long walks regularly, but these two were particularly special, because they were out to sea – a mile and a bit out to sea, along the Busselton Jetty.  This is a really magical walk, and well worth the time if you happen to be visiting my part of the world.

After the walks I sat down and wrote this poem, which I have finally got a round to editing, with the photos I took, into a video:

 

And here is the text version:

 

Jetty

A lovely feature of the jetty is that it has poetry displayed on it. Hoorah!

I’m a mile out to sea

But I’m not wet

The planks beneath my feet

Don’t rock and sway

with the waves

 

I’m a mile out to sea

And so is the gull

Perched on the railing

Watching me

Beady-eyed

 

I’m a mile out to sea

And down below

Dark water swirls

And swooshes

Singing ocean’s song

 

I’m a mile out to sea

And around me

Salty breeze

whispers the secrets

of places far beyond

 

I’m a mile out to sea

But in a moment

I’ll turn

And start the long walk

Back to land smiling all the way.

(Poem copyright Sally Murphy)

The reason I’ve chosen to share this poem today is because, after I did that walk, I made a decision. I was going to get training and swim around the jetty. Every year, there is annual jetty swim, and I’ve told myself for years that I would do it one day.  So I registered, and started training. I joined my local Masters Swimming group and I trained some more. A lot more. At first I wasn’t sure I could get fit enough. Now I’m feeling reasonably confident. And, if I don’t make it, there are plenty of ladders.  And I can try again next year.

Wish me luck. I’ll let you know how I go.

Have a great Poetry Friday. Please visit the roundup, hosted by Katie at The Logonauts, for lots more poetry goodness.

Postal Treasures – and a Bookmark for YOU

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My postman has been kept busy later, bringing me all kinds of goodies. First, I came home to a bulk package from Fremantle Press. It was filled to the brim with these delicious bookmarks, to promote my forthcoming junior novel, Looking Up:

 

Delicious, aren’t they? If you’d like me to send one your way, I will. All you need to do is take a shelfie (photo of your bookshelf) or a selfie (photo of you) featuring one or more of my books and post it on Twitter, Instagram or my Facebook Page. Tag me (on Twitter or Instagram), then message me privately with your address and I will sign and send you a bookmark. Easy peasy. I’d like to be able to share your photos, so if you are under 18 make sure your parents know what you are doing.

I’d barely recovered from the excitement of having brand new bookmarks, when postie came with another package. This time it was my author copies of my newest book, Sage Cookson’s Fishy Surprise, the third in the series.  I couldn’t wait to line them up with the first two books – and my Sage doll, of course.

 

All three books are in good bookstores now, with three more titles still to come.

 

Much nicer postal goodies than a bunch of bills, wouldn’t you agree?

Poetry Friday: This is Just to Say

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Earlier this week, I posted about mentor text, and how can use them to inspire new poems of your own. Today, I wanted to share another effort. This one is based on what I suspect might be the most-used mentor-text poem ever, and a poem which changed my world.

First, the poem, by William Carlos Williams, which I hope you’ve come across before:

This is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox    (read the rest of this copyright poem here)
This poem, written as a note of apology, was one of the first free verse poems I remember reading. It was my first year of high school, and our teacher gave us the poem to read, discuss and, yes, mimic in poems of our own. I remember being amazed that poems could be written that way. Years later, when I wrote my first verse novel, Pearl Verses the World, I gave that experience to Pearl:
Pearl Verses the World
One day Granny read me
A poem
About a man stealing a plum
Granny, I remember saying
Why are there no rhymes
In that poem?
Granny laughed.
Why, Pearl, didn’t you know
A poem does not have to rhyme?…
A poem, comes
When it is needed
And writes itself
In the way it needs
To get its point across.
(from Pearl Verses the World,  2009, p. 63 Copyright Sally Murphy)

 

Anyway, back to the use of a mentor text. Williams’ This is Just to Say ahs been used in classrooms and by writers as a mentor text many many times.  There have even been books written based on the poem, my favourite of which is Joyce Sidman’s This is Just to Say: Poems of  Apology and Forgiveness.

Here is my own attempt a ‘This is Just to Say’ poem. I stuck with  the food  theme, and also gave an extra nod to Williams’ poem with my mention of plums.

This is just to say

I have eaten

the cake

that was in

the pantry

 

and which

you were probably

saving

for visitors.

 

Forgive me.

We had

no peaches

and no icy plums.

 

(Copyright Sally Murphy, 2015)

 

Have you ever written a This is Just to Say Poem? Or do you have your own favourite mentor text? I’d love to hear about it.

This post is part of Poetry Friday, where bloggers around the world post about poetry every Friday. Later today, you’ll see a round up of all the Poetry Friday posts at Penny’s blog.

sallymurphy.com.au