ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Jazz in the Vineyard
Maureen Clifford © The Scribbly Bark Poet


The notes were strident in the air - staccato sharp – standing alone
like wine fermented in a cask, waiting for maturation.
Notes floating free across the vines
that grew the grapes for finest wines -
supped, sipped and savoured beneath pines
at this Vineyard where grown.

Today the sun was shining bright – and winter warm. Out of the breeze
were rows of chairs and tables white and heard a susurration
of whispers from the audience there
who listened to the trumpets blare -
enjoyed the day without a care
eating crackers and cheese.

The ticket sales were through the roof – quickly sold out – much in demand
Jazz in the Vineyard long earmarked and now anticipation
was running high – James would be there
and man that bloke could play with flair
which guaranteed his name would snare
punters to this dry land.

With bellies full, mellowed with wine, on grassy sward amongst the vine
they heard the final note drift upward to its last cessation.
Applause rang out, the audience stood;
all classified their day as good
and took home bottles aged on wood -
their bounty – Stanthorpe wine.

Sounds wonderful. Wish I'd been there.

Red wine and cheese - way to go

Terry

Good one Maureen, to me you have done well with the rhyming pattern and line lengths. (ah, and the subject matter )
I notice Stanthorpe gets another mention there is there a connection?
Ron

Thanks Ron - Oh you will see Stanthorpe pop up a bit in my stuff - I lived there for a while on a sheep property

You might like this - Here's a clip I put together ages ago when I was Community Editor on the old ABC Pool site, it was meant to describe the Dreamtime River Serpents journey from the Brisbane River up through the Bremer and into the hills through Warwick and up into Stanthorpe ranges around Sundown National Park which is where our property was - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KLHqr0T1ss...

Thumbs up on the film clip Maureen! James playing in the vineyard and all Good one.

Ron

That would have been nice - but it is not James Morrison playing but Michael Smith - a bloke who was in the ABC ' Pool' group - pretty cool trumpet though isn't it? Glad you liked it I did the mix myself - speeded Mike's tempo up a tad and inserted the background tape then set up the piccies - the old Pool was great for doing those kind of collaborations - it bought an aweful lot of talented people together who were happy to share and mix their individal works. Sadly budget cuts saw it closed down and so much work was lost.

oops! I meant Michael yes v. good.
you seem to have an artistic flair for that sort of thing Maureen, well done.

Ron