“If you eat from the land, then you connect to it in a profound way. I enjoy being part of that link to the seasons and the identity of the land.” LEONIE, NORRINGTON

“I was certain that if you offer a child the widest possible range of food from the earliest age in a loving environment, if you eat together as often as possible, and demonstrate your own enjoyment of flavour and texture and conviviality, that child will eat well forever, and will enjoy being with others around a table for the rest of his or her life. After all, that is the lesson of my own life.”

STEPHANIE, ALEXANDER

My grandfather would walk into the house, on a summer evening after his work, then empty his catch of mud crabs into the bathtub.

My Grandfather’s Ice Pigeons – Robert Adamsom

One becomes a grandfather and one sees the world a little differently. Certainly the world becomes a more vulnerable place when one has a grandchild, or now I have two. And I think that possibly there’s some tenderness that came out of just time and age and being a parent and grandparent.     

C. K. Williams

SHE wears a bathing suit of blue, And to the beach she goes, With pretty giggles of delight, To dip her dainty toes.

“Surf Siren.” The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 – 1933) 1 Mar 1930: 22. Web. 31 Jan 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21523666&gt;.

Jack Roberton. Lennox Head, NSW.

“The Mother’s Day Swell.”

No-one knows from where it came

This rumour as it were

But for the tribes of the Northern Rivers

Disbelievin’ was a slur

For only once or twice in any surfers life

do not words such as these betray

of a great southern swell

of what size who could tell

was arriving the following day

Now preparations for a challenge ahead vary in personal choice,

And who should say of another man’s way

Can any soul sound his voice?

For the pulse of the ocean played a different beat to those that slumbered that night

Some were serene,

others frantically dreamed,

most tossed and turned ‘til first light.

Dawn revealed an almighty sea,

Of one like never before,

For some she was a temptress,

For some a banchong whore.

From ‘Angas’ to the ‘Shine’,

And all the bays between;

For each man and his indicator,

The sight remains unseen.

This beast of a sea disfigured the shore,

It pounded the rocky heads!

Now decisions take time,

And for many that’s fine,

And some cowered back to their beds.

But there’s always a few who know what to do,

Where to go, and to whom to speak…

And a handful had gathered to hear the old man,

For none had done more time on the peak.

Ol’ Brocky had lived at the point,

For god knows how many years

And he had ridden with the best of ‘em,

Yet he was fightin’ back the tears

“To this task I am no equal,

Yet to the edge I’ve had my trips.

And as all of you know, when it comes you must go,

Or the seas bitterness will remain on ya lips.

I’ve tasted her many flavours,

I’ve seen her in every light;

But this battle is yours my brothers,

And to the ‘button’ you must take the fight.”

A few of the men shuffled to and fro,

Some glanced around at their feet,

“Her morning sickness is over,” he said,

“It’s time for you to meet.

But one thing you must know

before you go confronting such a test;

Wave selection is critical boys,

So paddle for only the best!”

…..T’was the wild man from down Yamba’s way,

That broke the ol man’s spell;

“I’ve waited all my bloody life to challenge such a swell!

I’ll ‘ave a crack at anything,

Just you watch me ‘ave my fun.

An abit o’ advice if yas was thinkin’ twice –

Out there you need a gun!”

Well, Baddy glanced around ,

To see who was in for a show.

A couple o’ locals who knew the point thought they might ‘ave a go.

The Goldy boys looked doubtful,

Their boards were mighty thin……

“If ya think y’all catch one with those,” he scoffed;

“Ya gotta be bloody kiddin’.”…

And there were two big boards that lay away,

Of whose names he hadn’t seen;

And he met the gaze of two young lads; one solid, the other lean.

And over the rumble of another set,

He yelled, “Let class begin…..”

And he noticed that the one lad winked,

The other gave a nod ‘n grin.

Now, half the battle in such a sea,

Is getting out through the foam;

And for some they battled it bravely,

…..’til she turned their heads for home.

But the crowds of people, who lined the hill,

Excitement it did not lack;

For the sea ‘respects’ the patient,

And a handful had made it out back.

Now the worth of many a good surfer

Is in the number of waves that he gets;

Yet it is in the wisdom of the waterman,

That can read between the sets

For the nervous ones caught the first that came,

They were itchin’ for a ride;

But only a few sat out on the peak,

Waiting – for a change in tide.

Few words were exchanged, each deep in thought

It was Baddy who cleared the air;

And he turned to face the two young lads,

That sat to meet his stare.

“There’s a few locals ‘round ere you boys will meet,

An’ me you’ll get to know.

But it don’t get like this too much

So when it comes you must go.

Be sure to ride with style ‘n savvy,

This is no place for tricks.

I know you boys ain’t from round ‘ere

Cos’ i’m unfamiliar with ya sticks.”

“They’re from Hawa….” one began to say

But he stopped in his reply

For the horizon had taken on a different shape

And the sea had become one with the sky.

They started scratchin’ for the horizon

Each deciding where to wait

But Baddy’s experience had told him

Just to resign himself to fate.

He made it over the first two

On the third he got to his feet…..

But his strength in his paddle was lacking

And he knew that he was beat.

He was pitched from crest to trough

‘n it made the people wince

‘n he was washed up onto the beach

And his board ain’t been seen since.

But the two young lads paddled further out

They knew where they wanted to be

For back in the islands they’d heard from a friend

The existence of an outside bombie.

He’d told them of the line-ups

The right conditions were hard to find

“But if ya ever get it on,” he said.

“It’ll be sure to blow your mind.”

It was as they topped the tenth wave

That they knew they’d found their place;

And that the wave after the next one

Was the challenger they would face.

It was the biggest of the set,

T’was the ‘peaking’ of the swell

It’s line reached across the bay

…..It looked like heaven and hell!

It drew its water off the reef

But the two lads held their ground

And it wasn’t until it started to feather

That they turned their boards around

And paddling hard and paddling strong

They stroked into the peak

And a ‘roar’ could be heard as they got to their feet…..

Yet not a spectator was able to speak

They could be seen riding down the face

But were lost then they reached the trough

And by the ‘explosion’ of the white-water

It was assumed they were knocked off

Well moments passed

The anxiety grew

The tension hung in the air….

And it took some time for the mist to clear

To reveal the two lads…..

Still there!

They leant on their inside rails

Each responding to the cue

And crouching low, its energy drawn

Up in to a high line they flew

Well it’s “Mozart” that comes to mind when recalling the line

that they drew before i say more….

for they glided across that feathering wall…

like in a canyon does the great condor.

They seemed to know each others’ style

Criss-crossing with arcing cutbacks

And when one’d soul arch

The other ‘strokin’ the cat’

Their lines resembled rail-road tracks

They rode right outta sight

And still nobody spoke

And it was Baddy who broke the silence

….. “Who the fuck are those blokes?”

“From an island up north,” the old man replied

“Out off Moreton Bay.

I heard they grew up surfin’ outer banks

But where exactly it’s hard to say.

An’ I once ‘eard a rumour of an open lagoon that I believe gets bloody good

An’ there’s some long left only those boys have surfed

And they called it

The ‘Bay of Wood’.”

Little more is known, though much has been said…..

Of that day back in May

And the events have gone down in the archives…

And are still spoken of today

And should you ask the ‘ol man

Who still lives at the point

If he has any stories to tell

He’ll recall the time

The ‘Bribie Boys’ drew the line

On that memorable

‘Big Mothers’ Day Swell’!!

Jack Roberton. 2000

http://davidhocking.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/the-mothers-day-swell-surfing-poem.html

A fruit tree that grows in a dung heap will certainly blossom.

Deeds are fruits, words are only leaves.

http://bijlmakers.com/agriculture/fruits-proverbs-and-quotes/

Failure is the stepping stone for success.

 

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/English_proverbs_%28alphabetically_by_proverb%29

 

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time…though it tarries, wait for it” (Habakkuk 2:3, KJV).

God has an appointed time to fulfill the visions, dreams, and desires in your heart. Just because it has taken a long time or because you’ve tried and failed doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. Don’t give up on those dreams! Don’t be complacent about pursuing what God has placed in your heart. Our God is a faithful God. No matter how long it’s been, no matter how impossible things look, if you’ll stay in faith, your set time is coming.

Remember, every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that has taken root, God put it there. Not only that, but He has every intention of bringing it to pass. Hold on to that vision today. Declare by faith, “My time is coming. God is working behind the scenes on my behalf. I will fulfill my destiny!” As you continue to hold on to that vision and speak life over your dreams, it won’t be long before you see them begin to take shape. You’ll see your faith grow, you’ll see your hope strengthen, and you’ll see yourself step into the destiny God has prepared for you!

http://spiritualinspiration.tumblr.com/page/2

It is much easier to earn a lot of money than to find a bosom friend.

http://www.hanban.com/chinese-culture/chinese-proverbs/chinese-proverbs-friendship.html

MEMBER’S POEM: A FRIEND

A faithful friend is hard to find’

Who’ll stand through thick and thin, ]

But  my ‘ ‘dog, ‘Dutch,

‘ is just ‘the kind

Who’d do that sort of thing.

She’s just a ‘Cairn terrier pup,

‘ As full of mischief as can, be.

With ears and tail cocked up so bold

As straight as one can see.

Two gleaming eyes, a cold, ‘wet ‘nose,

She stands there all agog,

A tiny bark, a wagging- tail

And that is ‘Dutch,’ my dog.

 

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” ― George Harrison

“It takes sometime to understand that life can’t always go your way. People move on and change their minds, and leave you stranded. But you have to remember there’s always a road that will lead you to wonderful places unseen, to people unheard and stories untold.”

― Luisa Henao

God gives every bird its food but they must fly for it. (Dutch)

Curiosities in Proverbs

The means may be likened to a seed, the end to a tree.

Mahatma Gandhi

http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/mathas/quotes.html

Sabır acıdır, meyvesi tatlıdır. Translation: Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. Turkish.

MIRIAM LO
FRUIT IN SEASON 2: WHAT RHYMES WITH . . .

peaches? Beaches. A peach of a beach.
Gracetown in summer. A soft fur of heat
over bodies. The water, icy. Exploding
gently on legs as fruit in the mouth.
Sand the texture of peach stone: gritty,
rough. China, a memory refracted
through tropics: small fat god, white beard,
riding a deer. A Chinese Santa Claus.
In his hand, the fruit of which we speak:
everything peachy

Australia- Poetry International Web

foto – summer fruit in ulmarra dec 09

Ripe fruit is soonest rotten.

"Scottish proverbs, collected and arranged by A. Henderson"

The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. Arabian.

foto – orange tree in kalang 2008

Tree leans on tree in the forest and man on man in national life.

"National proverbs: Serbia"

Each swipe of the dish-sponge is anger or regret,
choices have consequences, consequences constrict
to the tightness of skin on a fruit, this feijoa
I slice into, savagely, and stop. Pineapple-scented.
The soft, fragrant jelly within.

MIRIAM WEI WEI LO

Australia – Poetry International Web 

foto – fruit on a coldstream street tree ulmarra nov 09.

Bunny’s Excuse. There was once a wicked old sinner Who fancied a rabbit for dinner, But the bunny he met Said: “Don’t kill me yet, For I really am still a beginner.”

My living problems also cease to be struggles.

Heaven designs to suit our trials to our strength.

Though the sun shines, leave not your cloak at home.

” The queen’s mocking laughter cut in. “This is your treasure, Lord Sheftu?”

“Aye. The greatest treasure in Egypt—a maid whose loyalty cannot be bought. Whatever bargain we make, Daughter of the Sun, must include her freedom.”
― Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Mara, Daughter of the Nile

LEAVING

RISE TOGETHER

ADAM T NA SPEAKER

IF DRINKING DON’T KILL ME

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM

SMALL TRIBUTE FOR IZZY FOREAL BY PETER CARRUTHERS

RISE TOGETHER

ADAM T NA SPEAKER

IF DRINKING DON’T KILL ME

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM

SMALL TRIBUTE FOR IZZY FOREAL BY PETER CARRUTHERS