HOT NIGHT 1980 Languid litanies of night bird and frogs Test the strength of my meditation. The air hangs from hot terracotta A preying mantis licks sticky aphids off a vine To soothe his parched body. Only ants swarm. IN THE PIECE BATTERY 1979-80 Three rows of grey-coated workers sit apart from the mob Straddling slick-oiled swivelling stools with names inscribed. Fingers fly from alphabet heaps, midas-touched, shining Swiftly poked, deftly prodded with practised precision. Darting keen eyes that flash and flicker, No lumbering labourers, hourly paid! A page has a price in the piece battery. (Untouched lunch wilts near finished blocks, Six columns more buys kids' school socks.) Yet twelve months pass and life moves on. This frenzied skill is now long gone.   A great list about writing Tuesday, 09 June 2009 01:13 If you want to call yourself a writer and would like to make a living from the craft, it is imperative to read this list: http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2009/05/eighteen-challenges-in-contemporary-literature Last Updated ( Tuesday, 16 June 2009 09:26 )   SOME POEMS - NOW I CAN THROW OUT THE ORIGINALS Thursday, 16 April 2009 02:56 AT THE FIRST WHIFF OF LILAC Companion to Delius' 'First Cuckoo' Your clustered Lenten purple Throbbing with unseemly primal passion seduces all who bustle by. Twist their well-honed purpose until blunted by your heady, drunken, gasped-in drug Urging them to seek out mates, And lying, intoxicated by you learn again the slumbering green. 'POV FAVORING ...' When I talk of Levi Strauss You only think of jeans. And Freud for you, is the way chips are cooked. Shelley is the back beach at Rye. Brecht clears the morning cattarh, that sensuous desert land. But somehow, we get along. For I have the books of a philosopher. You have the soul. A MELODRAMA WITH THREE VILLAINS 'Madam, I'm Adam,' he said to Eve, 'Gardening is m'line.' Thus he gave her a Cook's tour around Paradise Expounding the Law Divine. 'You were made from m'rib by the Mighty Lord. With me, you can help rule the roost. Bog in, help yourself to Nature's Reward, Kindly leaving Forbidden Fruits.' Surrounded by angels and nurtured by God, they thrived in ignorant bliss Till Eve, in vulnerable solitude, Was beguiled by a flattering hiss. The Talking Snake set her on new trains of thought Touching on how she'd improve If she nibbled the fruit without being caught 'Come on, girl, you're stuck in a groove!' With gusto, Eve slurped on the apple she pinched Hoping its powers would act soon. When Adam caught her at it she scarcely flinched, Just sang him the serpent's tune. The promise of knowledge, too great to resist, Led Adam to hold out HIS hand. Raphael's trumpet called, 'Obey! Oh desist!' Fading fast from that distant land. When God found them huddling, clad all in leaves He gave them their marching orders. Death, pain and sin, disobedience achieves! Erring parents! That's all you ensured us! THE WEIGHT OF BEING LOVED The weight of love crushes the helium lightness of  loving or just being. Feel the grinding of another's hurt. Your face moistened by another's tears. Love punctures bubbles of frothy joy Leaving a residue of damp, cold, a grey puddle. Statistics? There is none. But this is an observation. Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 August 2009 20:56 )   DIY publishing First written : Sunday, 02 November 2008 22:31 Self-publishing is a great exercise because what it does is teach you the whole publishing business. step by step. I released a book called 'Kulture Vulture' many years ago and couldn't get it published and when I did the numbers, I realised that to keep the profit in my pocket rather than hand over 90% to a publisher would make more sense anyway.  So I did it!  I had a terrific printer who helped me every step of the way and a wonderful manual.  I was also assisted by the late and great Wendy Lowenstein and it was a privilege tohave known her. These days that assistance comes via the net so I will make this a list of DIY resources I have found. http://www.oceanpublishing.com.au/ ... even though they have no respect for apostrophes ...  'Lets get started.' should be 'Let's get started.'  However, they have a good name in the business and the materials on the website are excellent and clear. These days, of course, there's Kindle!!