Mail Away

One of the reasons 

that I am only occasionally present 

here these days

is that I have been making mail...

mail art

which can be made from anything

lying about, junk, images, old papers

drawings, magazines, brochures, flyers

and plenty of glue...

 You can recycle envelopes

turn them inside out

draw, paint, snip and paste

add poems, clippings, quotes,

create in any way

that expresses your individuality...

you don't have to be an artist

just keen to make mail

and connect with others

I have invited a few friends

to join a 'closed' blog

where we share the mail received

and build friendships

If this idea of snail mail art appeals to you

and you have the time and inclination

to indulge your creativity in this fashion

email me

and I will give you further information

about the Mail Away project

Wisteria

*

Yoshida Toshi

In the pale moonlight

Hasui Kawase

the wisteria's scent

 Chikanobu

comes from far away

 Hiroshige

Haiku by Buson

*

A Pre-Sunset Stroll

A pre-sunset stroll

along the Noosa River foreshore

sees the seagulls lined up

to watch the late afternoon skies

too late Jonathon

full house...

left leg tree pose is mandatory

and the vaulted sky

blazes with cloud

as the sun prepares to sink

the dog whisperer

(he really is called that)

wends his way home

with his three charges

impatient now 

to disembark...

The Holy Flute

*

The temple seashore

 incoming rollers

flow in time

to the holy flute

Buson

*

The Song Remains

*

The Song Remains...

Perching on a blooming branch of rose
The bird sang a melodious song

Spreading the cry of joy
Across the void of silence

The rose vanished,
Without leaving a trace
Of its colour,
Of its smell;






But when the bird vanished,
Its song remained.

The Song Remains
by Mahmud Kianush
1934-
Iranian Poet






*

Kookaburra

*

I was walking over the hill
this afternoon
and noticed this sign
at a block of holiday apartments

and sure enough
right out the front
I saw this...
I am pretty sure
I know who it is...
Do You?

Another friendly kookaburra

who laughs



just like this...



Happy Days
everyone




*

An Old Fisherman

*

An Old Fisherman

An old fisherman spent the night here

under the western cliff

He dipped up water from the pure Hsiang

and made a bamboo fire

And then, at sunrise, he went his way

through the cloven mist

With only the creak of his paddle left,

in the greenness of mountain and river

... I turn and see the waves moving as from heaven,

And clouds above the cliff coming idly, one by one

An Old Fisherman

by Liu Zongyuan,

Poet of the Tang Dynasty

Top Painting by Wu Zhen
1280-1354
Painter of the Yuan Dynasty

Bottom Painting by Wang Su
1794-1877
Happy Fisherman

*

Sydney for a Day

I went to Sydney today...

Got up at 3am

drove to Brisbane 1hr 45mins away

flew to Sydney

which took 1hr 20mins

Visited the US Consulate

for a multiple entry-long term visa

and had time to walk down Pitt Street

to the harbour

take a few pics on my iphone

before returning to the airport

delayed one hour because of high winds

flew to Brisbane

drove home to Noosa

~ What a long Day ~

But look at Circular Quay

the area of the Sydney Harbour

between the Sydney Harbour Bridge

and the Sydney Opera House

two stunning pieces 

of man made engineering

and architecture

we mingled with the tourists

walking the shoreline

near the very Bay

that Captain James Cook

stepped foot on 

way back in 1788

222 years ago

Cook sailed into Botany Bay

just south of Circular Quay

on the HMS Endeavour

The British planned 

a penal colony for Botany Bay

which in time became the first 

European habitation of Australia

 

 

 

*

Sew and Sew

 Cleaning shelves

recently at my Mother's house

In New Zealand

 I found her Elna Sewing machine handbook

 

 Bought before I was born

 The sewing machine

produced most of the garments

we wore as children

until we learned to sew

and made our own

 The sewing machine could even embroider

 In a back pocket of the handbook

I found the original guarantee

from the Robertson reversible Sewing Machine Co

My mother's three girls

dressed in their beautiful dresses

But my favourite dress 

was a red spotted summer number

with matching red piping,

hence the caption on the postcard above

*

Evening Bell For Barry

*

Silent the old town

the scent of flowers

floating

and evening bell

Basho

Barry Fraser
The Explorer

April 3 1943 - July 20 2010

*

Red Pearls

Red Pearls

Here

red pearls

on a vine

once treasures from

South America

now riches of glowing

fire engine red - bright orbs

beckoning to be gently plucked

their pungent aroma and sweet taste

bringing my father's garden back to life

An Etheree poem 

has 10 lines 

of 55 syllables

beginning with one syllable

and building with the addition 

of one syllable each line 

to a total of 10 syllables

*