TOM'S 1 MINUTE POEM FROM HARRINGTON

[tom mcilveen]

. posting a poem I wrote for the 1 minute poet's brawl at breakfast ...which i was awarded 2nd for..My first achievement as a bush poet, of which I am very proud. WE HAD TO BID ON ONE OF SEVEN TOPICS TO WRITE A POEM ON AND BASICALLY HAD 1 HOUR SOMEWHERE IN A BUSY EVENT PACKED WEEKEND TO WRITE IT..I SQUEEZED THIS IN EARLY SATURDAY MORNING OVER A COUPLE OF COFFEES..MY ALLOCATED POEM TOPIC WAS 'PEBBLES' AND IT GOES LIKE THIS...

THEY SCRAPED AND SCRUNCHED AND SCRATCHED MY FEET AS I TOOK MY MORNING WALK AND AS I LISTENED TO THEM CLOSELY I WAS SURE I HEARD THEM TALK.

THEY SPOKE OF DISTANT GALAXIES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACE,
WHERE MORTAL MAN HAS NEVER BEEN, SO FAR IN OUTER SPACE.

THEY VIBRATE WITH COSMIC ENERGY AND RESONATE WITH RHYME
AND SPEAK TO ME OF ETERNITY, OF ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME.

IT WAS LONG BEFORE THE DREAMTIME, BEFORE GOD BLESSED THIS ANCIENT LAND,
THERE WERE STARS AND BROKEN METEORITES, SCATTERED JUST AS HE HAD PLANNED.

THERE WERE STONES AND ROCKS AND BOULDERS AND VOLCANOES RULED SUPREME,
SPEWING LIQUID MOLTEN LAVA FROM AN UNDERGOUND HOT STREAM.

IT HARDENS AND SOLIDIFIES INTO BLOCKS OF SOLID ROCK
AND THEN FRAGMENTS INTO PIECES WITH AN EARTHQUAKE'S AFTERSHOCK.

THE PIECES ARE THEN WEATHERED BY WIND AND OCEAN'S ROAR
AND THEN ROLLED AND TUMBLED GENTLY AS THEY'RE WASHED UP ON THE SHORE.

I GAZED IN AWE AND WONDER AND CAME TO UNDERSTAND
THAT EVERY PEBBLE IS NUMBERED JUST LIKE EVERY GRAIN OF SAND.

tom mcilveen

[manfredvijars]

Welcome Tom ... looks like you've nutted it out. I've moved this post from "Introductions" to here.
Yes, love to have your report on Tamworth and hope you keep posting ...

[tom mcilveen]

thanks manfred... just getting the hang of this forum procedure...not quite as simple as facebook but i'm getting there..tamworth was great...not too hot this year..just hot.(especially at the bush poet's comp)... .i entered the friday morning original section of country energy's best aussie poets..at west tamworth leagues club..we had the legendary greg north as compere..(and were treated to his version of 'clancy' with his pink scarf and hat...brought the house down..greg is world class talent..he could cut it on any stage anywhere..he would have done so well at live theatre or tv/ movie acting, ..and with his ability to remember verse, would have been a natural at learning lines for stage or on set..hopefully he won't read this and get a big head, or worse still it might give him ideas to wander off to hollywood..heaven forbid we ever lose him..he is a mighty ambassador for aussie bush poetry and we can all be proud to have him at the helm..anyway sorry i do tend to ramble..no wonder my poems are so long..(prousty told me at harrington to keep them short and sweet..)
anyway back to tamworth..wow, what a wealth of talent..no wonder I was a little nervous waiting in the wings to get on stage..I sat through and enjoyed 10 excellent non original presentations then I was no#6 out of 10 originals..to go on..i turned up at tamworth ( my first bush poetry comp)..expecting to be competing against, backyard amateurs and 'johny come latelies', was I in for a shock !! there was some exceptional talent there..!! a truly humbling experience for a 'thought he was pretty good' greenhorn..so i have been 'blooded' now and will hopefully only get better from here..anyone can write a poem ...but to get up on stage and deliver it verbatim to an audience with no notes, is a totally different kettle of fish..6 minutes is a long long time when you are on stage... I took a heap of guests with me ,cousins, brothers, nieces etc.. as Tamworth is my hometown, and they loved will athe whole show and will be back next year..ll BUSH POETRY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN TAMWORTH!!!!
TOM McILVEEN

[Maureen K Clifford]

G'day Tom - Well good on you - that puts you leaps and bounds ahead of a lot of us chickens. ,and congrats on being a place getter - that is the icing on the cake.

Welcome to the site and you will soon work out to negotiate it - if you don't somebody will steer you in the right direction.

Pretty good poem too considering the pressure you were under to do it. Look forward to reading more of your work soon.

Cheers

Maureen

[Trisha Patterson]

Hi Tom,
Enjoyed listening to your presentation of "Pebbles" at Harrington last weekend. Well done...and for your other performances too! Its a "brain-draining" chore writing a verse for the "brawl", with such limited time to do it, and even more nerve-wracking having to perform! I won the brawl last year and got 1st in the written humorous section. I didn't enter the brawl this year, but did get 2nd in the written humorous. Got pipped at the post by Ellis Campbell, so consider "2nd" an honour!
This year was my first time in performance, and not something I can brag about unfortunately. but I thought it a good opportunity to have a go. Maybe I should just stick to writing
All in all, Harrington is a great weekend with lots of great people. I'm looking forward to next year and more new talent.
Again, well done Tom!
Cheers
Trisha

[Zondrae]

G'day Trisha,

Congratulations on your 2nd place (written) at Harrington.
We all know there is Ellis Campbell and then all the rest of us. So 2nd looks mighty good. Good stuff. Keep them coming I say. Never too many writers. The more of us there are can only be good for the art.

Not trying to hi-jack Toms thread but spontaneity over took me.

[Maureen K Clifford]

You've all done very well - carry on.

Cheers

Maureen