sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: Seaside Me

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As I left the beach this morning I smiled at another swimmer who had also just got out.

‘Don’t you feel like a new person?’ she asked.

‘Absolutely!’ I replied. ‘I’m a much nicer person when I’ve been to the beach’

We chatted a little more, and I filled my new friend in on the names of the some of the fish she had seen, and I left smiling.

Back home, I pondered what I’d said though. Maybe it’s sad that I’m not always nice, but I also think it’s worth celebrating when we know what our happy-place is, and we seize opportunities  to go there.  Because if it makes me happy, makes me feel nicer, then chances are it also benefitting those around me.

And, of course, this generated this poem draft:

The Many Faces of Me

Before I head to the beach

I am cranky-me

Busy-me

Overloaded-with-thoughts-me

 

When I reach the beach

I am  breathe-in-salty-air-me

Rush-to-get-in-water-me

Slightly-awkward-landbound-me

 

In the water

I am look-at-this-me

Look-at-that-me

Wonder-awe-and-peaceful-me

 

When home time comes

I am happy-me

content-me

Feel-like-a-new-person-me.

Hope-this-feeling-lasts-me.

(copyright Sally Murphy, 2022)

 

and this, in turn, generated a further thought – I’m also a nicer person when my creativity is flowing. Any day with a swim and a chance to write is a great day.

If you don’t have the chance to immerse yourself at the beach today, here’s a video from a few weeks ago that might help.

And, when I went looking for that video I remembered this one – made when it was too cold to swim, but when I was happy just to dunk my toes:

I hope you have happy toes. In fact i hope you’re happy all over.

The thing that is going to make me happier today is visiting all my poetry loving friends. It’s Poetry Friday and 0 is hosting 0. I’m off to 0, and you can swim along.

Poetry Friday: Definition Poems

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Welcome to Poetry Friday. What a week this past week has been!  I have to admit that I was very worried about releasing a new book in the midst of this terrible pandemic. Why, I thought, would anyone be interested in my little book in the midst of such awful stuff happening. But the love I’ve felt – for my book, and for me, too – has really made me remember that people need good stuff to celebrate in the midst of bad times just as much as they in the midst of good times, or even in-between times. So thank you for your well wishes, your support, and best of all your enjoyment of my videos and ramblings and sharings.

Last week, as part of my release day post, I shared a poem which I term a ‘definition poem’. It isn’t an existing form – just something I played with as I wrote Worse Things. Here’s the one I shared:

BROKEN

[bro*ken] (adj)

Ruptured

torn

fragmented.

No longer whole

or functioning.

In need of repair.

(Copyright Sally Murphy, 2020)

And here’s another:

 

BELONG

[be*long](Verb)

To be part of

Appropriately placed

A piece of the whole.

To fit in

Match up

Meet up.

Appertain

Associate

Apply.

To be apt.

(Copyright Sally Murphy, 2020)

 

If you want to see what these look like in the book (and don’t have a copy at hand) you can see the spreads in this video, which was put together for the Walker Books website. Broken appears at 0.47 and  Belong at 1.24.

 

I had a lot of fun writing these definition poems. First I identified key words or themes that I was exploring at different points of the book. Then I got out my dictionaries and thesauruses and looked at the definitions and similes. Then I simply played with the words and phrases, perhaps adding new phrases,  until I had a poem that I felt both defined the word and also connected with what was happening in the text.

Since I finished writing Worse Things I haven’t played with the form again, but this week I thought I might give it another go, inspired by  things seen on my daily beach walks. First there’s this one, inspired not just by the gorgeous Flo, but by all the pups I watch on my walks (including the recently departed Skipper, who is sadly missed).

Here’s what I came up with.

DOG

[dog] (noun)

Mutt

Pup

Pooch.

Tale-wagger

Stick chaser

Guide

Guard

Shadow

Man’s best friend

 

[Edited to add: yes, I do know dogs’ tails are spelled that way. The misspelling is a deliberate play on words!]

Beach

[beech] (noun)

Sandy shore

Oceanfront

Margin

Between sea and land

Coastline

Retreat

Embodiment of peace.

 

You might be able to pick the couple of lines that did not come from either dictionary or thesaurus. I especially found the definitions for beach a little inadequate for just how much it means to me.

So, over to you. I’d love to see if you have a word you’d like to define poetically?  I like to think it’s a fairly simple challenge,because the dictionary and thesaurus are a wonderful starting point for finding lots of fodder.

Not up for the challenge? That’s okay. There’s all sorts of other poetry goodness on offer around the interweb, courtesy of my Poetry Friday friends. You’ll find the roundup over on Michelle’s blog, Today’s Little Ditty. See you there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

sallymurphy.com.au