I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

13 June 2013

Moving (Tanka Sequence)

the new home is high
to catch the summer breezes
Phil’s painting it now
in six more days we move in
there’s a huge rosemary bush

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raining in Condong
don't take the steep hilly road
but up the highway
turning in at Chinderah
high out of flood range but flat

moving in the wet
Pottsville to Murwillumbah
and back many times
the new garage filling up
boxes and boxes and box…

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the DVD works
we’ve sorted which desk is whose
where to feed the cats
 
and how we can beat the heat —
home begins to shape itself

These tanka were written in early 2010 when we did move from Pottsville to Murwillumbah. They were among many tanka written at that time, on various topics. I have only just now selected these out and put them together as a sequence (in the order they were written) so as to submit 20 lines for Poets United's Verse First: Moving.

20 comments:

  1. Such busy happy days. I loved this look back, Rosemary and adore the names of the places.....way cool!

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    1. Thanks, Sherry. I should probably include a pronunciation guide! (They all have the stress on the first syllable, except for Murwillumbah which has it on the second.)

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  2. Me, too. Especially the desks and cats, centers of daily life.

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  3. Home is where the heart is! :)

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  4. You seem to be at home with this style!

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  5. I dread moving, but I wish we could afford a bigger house. I like how you found the DVD in a box and went from there. = )

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    1. I've done a lot of moving over the years. It's a stressful business. It was good to know this move - to a smaller house! - would be the last.

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  6. This is lovely! Thanks so much for visiting my blog.

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  7. I really like the last line - home begins to shape itself. From a house to a home as you begin to fill the rooms and settle in.

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  8. This took me to the times, when we moved houses. Could relate to it:)

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  9. Home begins to shape itself...don't we all just love that time when it does. I have recently moved in this new house and it is now slowly turning in to home.

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  10. Gr8 one Mama...... It was so nice reading it..........

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  11. Reminds so much of moving into our new house and the wonderful memories of making it home. Beautiful poem!

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  12. Really nice feel to these, a hint of sadness but also hope

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  13. Very interesting set of Tanka, Rosemary. Each one is a delight to read. Smiles.

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  14. Rosemary,

    Reminds me of our great move from Northern Ireland to England nearly twenty years ago. Sixty-eight boxes, just to start with....Sadness, yet fresh hope...

    Eileen

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  15. That brought back many memories of several house moves. Nice. I enjoyed that.
    Dropping by from the Verse First linkup.

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