ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Hi everyone,

Having taken off some time over the Christmas period - but confess to not realizing just how much time had elapsed since our last writing exercise, it saddens me to see so few posts added into the forum over that period.

Covid has of course impacted on us all in many ways and we have lost some friends sadly over that period as well but life goes on, as it always has done, the wheel keeps turning, but ultimately one has a destination in mind.

My query is - Do the few who frequent this section of the Forum wish to continue with the writing workshop or has it died a natural death?

I'm happy to continue on with it if that is what is wanted and God knows there have been some brilliant poems come from it which may not have seen the light of day without it.

I also have a request if I may - and that is I would love to be able to share some of the work that is in this section over to The Australian Rhyming Poets page on FB where it will reach a wider audience than being squirrelled away here, the page is doing well with over 2000 views consistently for most months of the year, and I monitor it daily -https://www.facebook.com/AustralianRhymingPoets

Does anyone have objections to my doing that. I will of course ink any poems posted there back to the ABPA page to try and get some growth and movement happening with this page which I would hate to see disappear, but at the moment it seems to be stalled.

Your thoughts would be appreciated folks ....

Cheers,

Maureen

Hi Maureen

You are right - our forum participation is dwindling. From my perspective, I love the writing workshop, as you know. I have had more than a few of my homework poems go on in refined versions to win major prizes. The latest one was "Lawson's Legacy" which took out the 2020 Bronze Spur. It would not have been written if not for this workshop. My poem "A Red Dirt Road to Nowhere" which won the Wyalong Prize several years ago, is on my website, and was recently chosen by a high school class in Temora NSW as part of a project they were doing on the relevance of bush poetry in today's world. I joined them by zoom and we had a fabulous half hour together. Again - a legacy of this workshop.

However, I understand that we need to be practical and not expect you to keep coming up with excellent prompts for so little participation. If you are willing to do so, then I will continue to support the workshop whenever I can. But if the decision is to suspend it, I will, albeit sadly, fully understand.

As for sharing my poetry on the social media platform, I certainly have no objection. Of course you always credit the author and you don't alter the poems, and for anyone asking to share my poetry those are my only two stipulations. This year I have commenced sharing some of my shorter homework poems on my own Facebook and Instagram pages, because as you say, without exposure they remain unknown.

Whatever happens, thank you so much for your dedication to this Forum over the years. I really appreciate your support to those of us who have worked hard to keep it going. For me this Forum is and always has been, a very worthwhile endeavour.

Cheers
Shelley

G/day Maureen & Shelley

Yes of course we should get things moving again.
I always enjoy our interaction and although most of us haven’t met in the flesh, we’re still like old friends in a way.

I wonder how many realize just how many hits we have on this forum? Out of curiosity I had a quick count on the first page 13,964 – that’s a lot of visits.

What we would love to do is attract more participants; I wonder if we could somehow add a section for learners who wish to try and improve their skills or even children. There were over 100 junior entries in a recent competition?
People sometimes feel a bit overawed when starting out, they see the names of well-known poets and perhaps that scares them off – who knows?

As for using poems from here, you’re welcome to use mine, I have always believed that poetry is meant to be shared,
and poets should feel privileged, that people actually take the time to read their poems.

Cheers

Terry

Hi Maureen,

I agree with Shelley and Terry on the value of the workshop (surprise, surprise!) I greatly enjoy the prompts and have reaped the wonderful benefits of not only the discipline it brings, (especially when I feel The Muse has deserted me!), but also the deeply satisfying rewards of a couple of my poems that might otherwise never even have been written, going on to win major prizes.

I too will understand if this decision is made under the current circumstances - although I agree with Shelley that it will be a great shame. It is a most worthwhile and satisfying exercise for me when I do produce something from the prompts, and I would always try to support it by keeping the exercises up if it were to continue - especially as I feel it is invaluable for giving my aforementioned often elusive Muse a kick up the backside!

It’s lovely what Terry says about us all being like old friends – this is exactly how I’ve felt over time, and with being located overseas as well, the Forum is a special connection to you all for me.

As for sharing some of our poetry – as Shelley says, you always do this very well and fairly, Maureen, and with proper credit. It is also a privilege, as Terry rightly comments, to have our work shared out there for people to read…. I guess my only suggestion/preference would be that it might be wise to make any requests for this on an individual ‘case in point basis’, just in case a particular poem anyone might wish to revise and take further could be ruled out of entry into a competition due to having been published online – or likewise, a potential judge might read it, or whatever. But maybe I’m over-thinking that and it wouldn’t apply, I don’t know…

Anyway Maureen, I too really appreciate your dedication in keeping this going over the years. Quite honestly, you amaze me with all you do and have my utmost respect, because even though I feel as if I am pretty busy in general, I don’t seem to be able to produce anywhere near the amount of poetry you do on such a regular basis whilst still working so hard on The Australian Rhyming Poets page, the Forum, the TAT when it was going, and Lord only knows what else! So in words I’ve seen you use several times yourself - I really do ‘dips me lid’ to you!
Warmest wishes, Catherine

In answer to Catherine's query re Comps.
I think there is a slight chance of this happening from time to time, so I suggest you have an alternative title when using them in comps, just to add another safeguard. It's more likely to be competition organizers who may toss a poem out for that reason. My other suggestion is that if you think a particular homework poem may go on to be a comp poem, Just make a note on the bottom of your poem for it not to be copied.

Meanwhile come on Maureen put up some prompts and lets get this show on the road.

Cheers

Terry

Hi All

Catherine makes a good point about some of our homework poems possibly being read by potential judges if they are aired in the public arena too widely. (Of course, they could always read them on this Forum).

I doubt they would be disqualified, as most times we would revise and possibly lengthen them for competition, and as Terry says, usually change the title. But I suppose if a judge read the essence of the poem and then saw it in a revised form in competition, he/she would have a pretty good idea who wrote it.

But I guess regular judges get to know our individual styles anyway, and sometimes they judge one of our poems more than once.

Perhaps when we post our new homework poems here, we could just append a quick comment such as "Feel free to share this one, Maureen" if we don't intend to set it on the path to bigger things. And maybe we could send Maureen a quick email listing the ones already on here that we still have on the competition circuit. There would only be a few, probably.

I'm so pleased that you, like me, would like to see the prompts continue. Onward and upward! How about it, Maureen??

Cheers
Shelley

Your right Shelley about judges knowing or at least a having a pretty good idea who wrote certain poems.
Some they know for sure, without even guessing.
But I'm sure all judges will evaluate each poem without fear or favor, and judge it fairly against all the other poems entered.
The thing to remember is that all judges have have their individual likes and ways of judging - you may miss out with one lot of judges, but impress the next lot.
Also most comps. accept published poems.

Cheers

Terry

Thank you all for your positive and kind responses to my query. It is heartening to know that we are all on the same page at least and I also consider you all to be friends - and might I add as circumstances have played out in my life over the past month or so, far truer and more reliable friends than some of the ones that I thought I had made in real life over the past couple of years.

Your encouragement has uplifted my spirits more than any of you will ever realize and so of course we will continue on. Who knows what heights we might yet attain with our writing. I am sure there is no limit to our respective skies, nor a shortage of bluebirds with which to decorate them.

Be assured that although the greatest distances separate us all, that each and every one of you holds a very special place in my heart and carries the valued titled of 'friend'.

So now I will go and find some suitable prompts to get the next show on the road

Cheers,

Maureen

Wonderful, Maureen!

May I say again how much I value your contribution to these pages, and I will now busy myself with the pencil sharpener in anticipation of your next set of head-scratching prompts! Not having written any poetry at all for several months, I really need the oxgoad!!

Onward and upward - and yes, let's fly with the bluebirds and rise above the turkeys!

Cheers
Shelley

Hi Maureen

Well you are certainly among friends here - great to see you picking up the reins once more - you've been missed.

Cheers

Terry