Taking Jerry to visit the grave of his mother on All Saints Day 2019. We also spent some time with his elder brother Ryan and his family.
Category: Poetry
the magic of words.
Moon Creatures
I love the night culture of the Philippines and how the twilight turns headlights into the moon. After the hot sun sinks and before the moon rises.
Mangroves
seated the sunshine flecked, with salt
Her Own Shadow
What days are these? Where you can only be found -- inside your own shadow.
Pineapple Vending
vending pineapples with urgency money. exchange. quick. before the street guard surge Walking out of the money exchange kiosk I found my path blocked by a tricycle stretched with pineapples. A young man was urgently slicing his wares into plastic…
Last Night’s Rain
tiny bubblets lodge in a spider's trap last night's rain © 2019 Melinda J. Irvine An evening downpour in the Philippine tropics is followed by intense morning sun, giving life to every rivulet and bubble before they transform back to cloud.
Your narrative
each new sun lights layers your narrative sensitive to light © 2019 Melinda J. Irvine
Seeing things
Seeing red flowers. For the first time. Seeing red flowers. Everywhere. Seeing. For the first time. It's amazing when you see something for the first time. It grabs at you and pulls you in, and you love everything that's bright…
Splashed with red flowers
Kid's water park excited shrieks wet selfies. Splashed with red flowers. ‘Tita Mel, you have little red flowers on you’ cried 11 year old Jerry as we were leaving a kid’s waterpark yesterday. Underneath the steps of a shrieking watercoaster,…
Of trees
keep the secrets of trees close
Rearranging the shadows
inside shadows a young fish passes beyond the mangroves
The sun has gone
the sand scorched heat and absence our monsoon rains are late this year and tonight (at last the night) the dogs will sleep inside fresh holes dug to the cool sand not like this burnt afternoon dusk, where the sun…
On the low tide
young palm frond turned, green to burned gold on the low tide © 2019 Melinda J. Irvine
El Niño
mid-summer heat settled shouts out curling leaf fronds brown and cracked clear voices cry rain hear us rain When my mother and sister arrived in Iloilo City 2 weeks ago, they both asked about the brown stuff they could see…
Art or Autobiography
Is it possible to see a piece of art and not look for yourself? Or arrange each piece without turning it into your own autobiography of lost toys, lost time lost poetry, and lost vindications? Not today. Blogging-U: This blog…
Easter Moon
flying late my Easter moon alighting Dubai
Putting out fires
wet skies falling over burnt bits of land My Uncle Richard emailed me his latest watercolour a few days ago -- inspired by the "water, wet skies and bits of land" (he told me) of the NSW New England. Yet all…
Next to the Sun
standing next to the sun I saw the city shine © 2019 Melinda J. Irvine © 2019 Melinda J. Irvine
Memory of a Kiss
glowing on the beach lighting her long hair, carried cool before their kiss
Leaves by the Riverbank
barbed blade and broken midrib, cobweb netted vein cover river sand in your story
Street Cat
Posturing Above his subjects Always a street cat, still
Faded
her painted smile outstretched the years of silent heat and stormed cloud
River Warrior
He is beautiful. Representative of an ideal. But never forget, he can never be real.
Vexillology
little flags cerise black red flapping in the wind
Above the kitchen
wind strikes hollow bamboo sticks against long since seashells
A Ballet of Water
“like ballet” said a young voice “like a ballet of water”
A Book for Poetry
a gift handbound pages for poems
Spinning
shrieks of excitement birthday wrappers all torn spinning toys spin -- for hours
The Beat of the Drums
In the distance the drums continued to beat. © 2019 Melinda J. Irvine [lmt-post-modified-info]
Winter Monsoon
Three goats out — eating winter monsoon sod Three goats run — running mid-season squall
Disconnectivity
connecting each to each building to building house to house pole to pole pod to pod me to me you from you post from post tribe from tribe boozer from boozer each from each disconnecting © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
ARTIVISIM: public art with a social impact
there’s art on the streets over every broken wall we see ourselves in paint there’s art on the streets in every broken leaf (or the dirty sea) we see ourselves we paint there’s art on the streets in every broken…
Marvin
a gentle voice speaks his heart in poems and paint A little poem for Marvin and all who speak their heart using a paintbrush. Pictured at Artivism 2.0 Iloilo City -- public art with a social impact.
Lion
camouflaged lion between birds & bamboo two restaurants and a salon © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
We’ve Moved
oh let me introduce you to our new place -- we call it home and like a little prince (with mother Queen) we each of us have a throne it has a lovely concrete driveway so we're out of all…
Ngaduun (crab)
ngaduun captured by hand back a decade, or more REFERENCES Gumbaynggirr Language Names National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/education/2010GumbaynggirrLanguageDatabase.pdf Gumbaynggirr Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-op http://muurrbay.org.au/languages/gumbaynggirr/
Cloudy
rock pool shook by the north shrilled wind cloudy
Along the Rural Road
neat rows of pointed pines along the rural road one wild daisy
Out Past the Breakers
when you look inside the tides what do you see?
Another Life
Squinting. Another life through the cracks.
Fashionistas
torn by the staples the haughty magazine fashionistas My Uncle Richard created these incredibly beautiful, yet haunting portraits by tearing and collaging pieces of glossy magazines. I found them leaning against a window pane in his house.
The Window Sill
on the window sill bottles sitting in echoes memories -- not dust
Astern
more than 10,000 low and muddy tides she stands astern. still
Drooping She-oak
drooping limbs flailing she-died -- not quickly
Scattered Seaweed
shreds of seaweed break -- the beach © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine The last shreds of seaweed break up kilometres and kilometres of empty low tide beach. Broken from the bottom they were dumped on the sand, soon they will…
Whales
whales passing nearby external assembly © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
White Water Bird
river currents creasing her — white winged reflections © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Painted Gums
street composition afternoon art © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine As I wander the late afternoons I often ponder how the early masters like Yoshimoto, Basho and Buson would haiku and haiga our 21st century landscape.
The Navigators
before any great journey is the silent division and brooding contemplation © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Sunbathing
basking her bottom head hiding - rear to the sun shining. black lizard © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Gum Blossoms
tangled river walkway gum blossom cepheids
Broken Leaves
sunset falls to earth broken leaves reply © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Mission Beach Mornings
shoes back behind allowing morning cool contiguous to toes
Above the Ocean
cape. fronded textures
Along the Kennedy Track
mangrove roots swathe rock to sea old coast walkway © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Ocean Pandanus
all her life she leaned toward sea pelagic and tidal she yearned for the deep and yet she remains only brine on the breeze a blackened torn shadow over sunset stands she © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Pines
Down she fell into the tree but she never could tell which was her or the tree © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Springtime in the Blue Mountains
Spring's contenders rhododendrons waratahs
Shadows On the Fence
spring fell between the cracks shadows on the fence © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
My Younger Self
I saw myself at the bottom of a pink camellia bush stretched out and flailing as my younger self (a perky pink bud) looked away in disdain how could she know? that actually she was looking at herself © 2018…
The Wildflowers Are Always Out in Blackheath
Blackheath flowers blossom all the year back of the toilet block wall
Wet
dark brown muddened bract rain leaves the garden © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Little Firefighter
Friday firefighter dressup sliding down the firepole
In Trouble
5 double-sided pages of handwritten notes first he writes "I will not fight my classmates" all the way across the top then he writes 'I will' half-way down the page then he writes 'classmates' half-way down the page then he…
Rain on Leaves
looking for something familiar in a dark place anywhere you can see rain on leaves and your own quiet reflection © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Not Yet Real
at night shadows strike already dark walls and your eyes create things not yet real with a weird filter © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Shadows on a Wall OR Fake News
like a shadow cast on wall sometimes you have to step back and remove your sunglasses or step forward and adjust your eyes to see what's real and what is not © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Real Stripes
before a human hand ever painted a spot or stripe she must have seen one © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
The Outside Light
the night silences a city -- her outside light speaking only low tones © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine
Left Behind
Just because I'm small shouldn't mean I cannot come I'm small, but very big and I want to have some fun If you'd just wait and help me Down this hill then I'd be right I only need your hand…
Standoff — a sequel
I didn't want to kill you Mr Spider But I didn't want Jerry to be bitten either ... [read part 1 here ...]
Christmas is Here
Christmas starts here September and flies right on past December Christmas light shows in January yes! It's absolutely necessary
Stand-off in the Kitchen
I don't wish to kill you Mr Spider But I don't wish Jerry to be bitten either ...
Rust
bawal = prohibited umihi = urinate diri = here !!!! = please
Haiku for the Sun
six sodden rain weeks greyed skies -- gloomier parents then you remembered
Guitar Pic
I wonder how many poets have written lamentations of unscratched fretboards plectrums and melodies swallowed? Maybe I should too ///
On the Street Today
men with an oozing bellies calm fighting roosters water boiled by fire, pours to a plastic bucket duck eggs, grilled corn, peanuts hot, salted by hand flapping tarps and bright umbrellas wet school shoes sirens sounds, and shredded traffic a…
Should I be …
magnifying bits and pieces of something not mine? When you bring your life into the street, is it still yours?
Palm Roots and Blooms
old concrete mossed green tiny white flowers
The Garden in Wet Season
mud blotchy shadows cover days old rain
All Stretched Out
inspired art by oceans all stretched out our human community © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Location: Mandurriao, Iloilo City (Philipppines) This lovely mural is at the Atria in Iloilo City. #sustainable #ourfutureoceans
Over This Wall
Over this wall is a shopping centre aircon and security guards thousands of people over this wall Over the wall is a gasoline station aircon and fancy cars thousands of drivers over the wall Over that wall is a man washing…
Hands
His hands opened Her's holding onto love mine filled with photographs another's rasping my shoulder for money © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Awkward I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: La Paz, Iloilo (Philipppines)
A Poem in the Morning
I woke this morning to the sound of a poem. It rained in through the night words and images. And yet even my first response was not to scramble for a pen, but merely smile and seep into a new…
Appearance and Reality
seeing senses skewed © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Skewed I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Guimaras Island, Iloilo (Philipppines) PS: I found Bertrand Russell's 'The Problems of Philosophy' for 85 pesos buried in a bookstore yesterday,…
Of the Forest
one piece of the forest fallen, at my feet © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Forest I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Guimaras, Iloilo (Philipppines)
Old World Tropics
bare feet uncover a new island old world pandanus © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Observe I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location:Guimaras Island, Iloilo (Philipppines)
The House of Ants
I met a man today on a wooden ferry boat and between the two islands he told me a story. His story, of two boys once seven and once nine when their mother who died. Unable to make a sound…
Under a New Window
there's a place I sit where only tree tips are seen and the new window © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Vague I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: La Paz, Iloilo City (Philipppines) My friend Jane Dudley…
Saying Goodbye
a few days remain part of her life the kittens © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Uncompromising I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Estancia, Iloilo (Philipppines)
Things Get Messy
no sleep tonight the neighbours dogs © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Messy I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Estancia, Iloilo (Philipppines)
Touch Me Not
touching a 'touch me not' we wait the restart © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Restart I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Estancia, Iloilo (Philipppines)
Hot Dogs and Ham
There was a young fellow called Kevin Who liked to eat potted meats and devon And hot dogs and ham And saveloys and spam Oh he ate, and shot straight, into heaven © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Premonition…
Astral
midnight a wet balcony becomes the moon © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Astral I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Estancia, Iloilo (Philipppines)
Reforestation
from the top of the island where the trees were once bamboo nursery © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Encrusted I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Calagnaan Island, Carles (Philipppines) Note: A little poem about a new bamboo forest…
Holes in the Road
no matter where you step there's always a hole in the road maybe we're all in one © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Cavity I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Jaro, Iloilo City (Philipppines)
Pink Umbrella
diminishing bright fuschia, hot pink, piggy pink, baby pink, champagne © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Conjure I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Lapaz, Iloilo City(Philipppines)
Old Ensemble
worn like a costume Teddy Bear © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Costume I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Estancia, Iloilo (Philipppines)
Disentangled
entanglement density completely or veneered © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Simplify I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Iloilo City (Philippines)
Creature
seeing someone's feet in the city sludge, I fall © 2018 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Creature I'm part of Post A Day 2018 Location: Iloilo City (Philippines)