“Flag of Stars”

Emotions surely can be stirred when our flag is hoisted high

as a tear begins to trickle from a true-blue ‘Aussie’s’ eye.

Anzacs stormed the beaches under our Australian Flag

at times a tattered piece of cloth, a blood stained, dirty rag.

Symbolic of true courage away from ‘Aussie’ shores

at battle fronts and beaches in others far flung wars.

The Union Jack reminds us of our initial history,

Southern Cross is rampant, signifying our place for all to see,

a large and brightly shining star stands for all Australian States

heraldry important to most ‘Aussies’ and their mates.

Emotions surely can be stirred when our flag is hoisted high,

a tear begins to trickle from every true-blue ‘Aussie’s’ eye.

At Commonwealth and Olympic, sporting battles regularly,

contested from within our shores or far across the sea

our athletes strive to be the best, to hold aloft the ‘Gold’

courage is symbolic for others to behold.

The Union Jack reminds us of our initial history,

the Southern Cross is rampant, our place for all to see,

a large and brightly shining star stands for all Australian States

comradeship important to all ‘Aussies’ and their mates.

Emotions surely can be stirred when our flag is hoisted high

and tears begin to trickle from every true-blue ‘Aussie’s’ eye.

(c). Rimeriter. 23/8/02.

Flag + Colour added 26/11/11

Poetry Principles.

Very valuable information.  Posted by Jim Spain 5/8/12.

Poetry Principles  - courtesy Australian Bush Poets Association,

Manfred Vijars.

Metre comes from the word meaning, "measure," and when I think of a measure in the poetic context, I think of sound and music - and not the keeping track by metronomes.

For measuring length we use the millimetre, centimetre, the metre; for time - the second, minute, hour; and for verse, we use the foot, the line(verse), and sometimes the stanza.

In the normal process of language, in any sentence arrangement, with every word of more than one syllable, one syllable is accented or stressed. with words of even one syllable some are given more prominence than the rest. in prose, these accents happen more or less haphazardly, in poetry - the poet arranges them at chosen intervals.

In poetry, the basic metrical unit - the foot - normally consists of one accented syllable and one or two unaccented syllables - though on on occasion, there may be no unaccented syllables, and rarely three.

The foot

I will just name the basic kinds of feet and give an example beneath each one in parentheses:

*iamb (iambic metre)

(to-day)

unaccented/accented

*trochee (trochaic metre)

(dai-ly)

accented/unaccented

*anapest (anapestic metre)

(in-ter-vene)

unaccented/unaccented/accented

*dactyl (dactylic metre)

(yes-ter-day)

accented/unaccented/unaccented

spondee (spondaic)

(day-break)

accented/accented

monosyllabic foot

(day)

accented

[*these four are the important ones].

When the time is taken analyse metre, you can see how certain effects are achieved -- how rhythm (the wavelike recurrence of motion or sound-the natural rise & fall of language) is adapted to thought.

The Line(verse)

The second unit of measurement is the line(verse), and we measure this by naming the number of feet in it; again, some names follow, and it is important to note that poetry need not have every line(verse) the same length -- we are simply looking for patterns:

monometre (1 foot)

dimetre (2 feet)

trimetre (3 feet)

tetrametre (4 feet)

pentametre (5 feet)

hexametre (6 feet)

heptametre (7 feet)

octametre (8 feet)

The Stanza

The third unit, the stanza, consists of a group of lines whose metrical pattern is repeated throughout the poem. not all poetry is written in stanzas, and someone else can have the joy of discussing that topic. but when I say a pattern is repeated, that pattern does not have to be regular and fixed -- and often, it is not even "discernible" to the naked eye.

Metre is a complex topic, especially when we talk about the process of measuring verse, which is called scansion.

To scan, you simply do three things:

1. Identify the prevailing foot - the one that appears to dominate the line.

2. Name the number of feet in a line - if it follows any regular pattern. I personally count syllables to make it easier for myself and divide by 2. That works most of the time.

3. Describe the stanza pattern -- if there is one.

Firstly, read the poem through normally. Listen to where the accents fall. Keep time, keep the beat. Sometimes a line(verse) is highly irregular, so go on to the next when uncertain. Look for easier lines, then you can mark them. once you have the key, you can open the other more difficult doors you passed by before.

A good reader will not ordinarily stop to scan a poem. A good reader will not exaggerate or over-emphasize accented syllables. The occasional scansion does have some value, though at best it will grossly describe the rhythmical quality of a poem. There are degrees of accent. Accented and unaccented are relative terms. Scansion is not an exact science by any means. Within limits we may say it is right or wrong, but beyond those limits there is plenty of room for personal interpretation and disagreement among readers.

Finally, perfect regularity of metre is no criterion of merit. One, if in essence, all art consists of repetition and variation, then if a metre alternates too regularly between light and heavy beats, we effectively kill variation. it becomes mechanical, monotonous. Two, once a metre is established, then any deviations from it become highly significant, and are the means by which the poet can use metre to reinforce meaning.

The skillful use of metre will offer its greatest effectiveness by offering not one rhythm, but two. One will be an expected rhythm, the other is the heard rhythm. The latter will not necessarily confirm the former. this sets up counterpoint, and the appeal of a poem will hold the same appeal as melodies counterpointed in music or two swallows flying around each other in the same general course with individual eye-catching variations. Simple phrasing and variation in the degree of accent, different feet -- these things introduced into the poem will not make it seem as if it flies alone.

The rhythm in a poem works as an emotional stimulus and heightens our attention to what is going on in a poem. by choice of metre and variation within the framework, the poet can adapt the sound of the piece to the content and reinforce meaning. Metre works with all the elements of poetry to produce a total effect.

I maintain that within poetic structure, metre is the dna strand. However, for many it is just another resource, like alliteration or metaphor or irony -- even imagery -- but for a poet to do the job right, all those resources at hand must be used, taken advantage of, in order to best express the object or experience in mind.

***

Bloody Billy.

Bloody Billy ?

Well, to start with, even though it has little if anything to do with the true tale - is this, and you may remember it ?

'the night was dark and stormy

the billy goat was blind

he backed into a barbed wire fence

and hurt his

never mind'.

Blimey, shades of many moons ago.

**

Now, the true tale begins.

But as with ALL true stories it does not start with –

'Once upon a time'.

On a particular sunny day, My Big Sis - Your Mum, decided more milk was required as Myrtle, the black and white milker was not giving much, a trip to the local Charlestown shop was needed.

So, your Sis - Sonia and your Unca Jim were duly despatched to obtain some.

A quart billy can was produced, also the necessary money and we set off along the eastern side of the Highway so as not to cross until the shopping area.

  Good decision.

Upon obtaining the 'said' quart of milk and with the billy can lid firmly set in place, we began the return journey. We also agreed for reasons now unknown, to go back on the western side of the highway.

   Bad Decision.

Now, the day was bright and sunny, not anything like the other billy goats night, so we strolled along carrying the billy can by its bowed wire handle.

Some times she, some times me.

Some times between us.

Being a young innocent boy from the city, wide eyed about bushy things, I was not aware or prepared for that which soon occurred.

Along this western side was a fenced paddock which constrained a white billy goat. This paddock was still a distance from our destination and on the opposite side of the highway.

Nevertheless, 'Billy' appeared friendly as we approached. This being so, we decide he deserved a pat on his head. We took turns at patting. 'Billy' seemed pleased. He also took an interest in that which we were carrying. Perhaps the smell was interesting or the shininess was appealing.

We decided to allow 'Billy' a closer look by raising it up and over the fence.

A few things I learned that day -

Goats can be friendly.

Goats have hard heads.

Goats like to butt at things.

Goats know how to spill milk, almost a full quart.

and - - - -

- - - - - - - -

older sisters can get very cranky.

OH YES !   and one thing more -

what a sore bum feels like.

***

POOR   Rimeriter.

Writers - Press Release & Book Launch.


Ever wondered how a budding self publisher can get made a book known to the world?

The bad news is that no one can give you a sure fire formula that can guarantee you achieve this.

The good news is that Press Releases can offer the first time author an affordable, proven way at potentially getting a massive amount of media attention!  



So What’s a Press Release?

For the author, a press release is a great way to share news about your new book. The key here is that it needs to be newsworthy, i.e.  it’s interesting or important enough that news publishers would want to report it.

A press release is a statement prepared for distribution to the news media announcing something claimed as having news value with the intent of generating media coverage. In other words, the aim is to get your news item published so you get lots of free advertising!



The First Important Element

The press release is generally around 500 words in length and the most critical part of it is probably the headline. You have one chance to impress so make sure your headline stands out from the many hundreds of other news releases that journalists skim through daily.



The Second Important Element

Find the right angle; make sure your press releases are written in a newsworthy manner- is your news release relevant to some other current major news items? Remember this is not a advertisement, and if you overhype your press release you will be ignored.



The Third Important Element

Make sure you include a good call to action; whether it’s to contact you for more information or to buy your book. Ensure all the relevant contact details are in place, if those details are not there, your news released will be trashed.



The Final Element

Your press release needs to be distributed to press distribution services that journalists actually read, and that provide good coverage. If you go for the free press releases you are going to get what you pay for: nothing!

We utilise a proven press release service in Australia, which has a reach of several thousand journalists Australia wide in TV, radio and print.

In the US, we use PR Newswire which is the same distribution service that many professional publicity companies and Fortune 500 companies use. With PR Newswire, your news release will reach over 250,000 US news subscribers, and over 30,000 journalists and bloggers, including outlets such as USA Today, NY Times, and Washington Post.

In summary, press releases are a great way for the self publisher with a tight budget to potentially gain massive attention for their book without selling the farm. It would be a real loss to any author who misses out on utilising this tool.



Hope you enjoyed this article!


Regards,

Terence Tam

Bookpal.

***

Charlotte takes novel approach to book launch

URL: http://www.wordsoutwest.com.au/client/index.cfm/2012/6/21/Charlotte-takes-novel-approach-to-book-launch

Students from St Mary's Primary School performed a scene from Charlotte Calder's new book for young readers titled The Ghost at the Point. It was the perfect way to introduce everyone to the book which features a cast of "goodies and baddies" in a thrilling historical mystery to make your spine tingle.

It was the first time the Library had hosted a performance for a book launch and it tied in well with the National Year of Reading celebrations which promote reading as fun.

Author Charlotte Calder was thrilled with their efforts and was impressed to see her story come to life before a large crowd of family, friends and well wishers.

The book launch was supported by Boomers Bookshop and ABC Centre. This is Charlotte's sixth book to be launched at the Orange City Library and supported by the Central West Writers' Centre. Well done everyone!

***

Poetry Review and Discussion.

Maybe because I get a mention, this item is very interesting. 

However, it is a distillation of many, many insights and comments.       

Group: Poetry Review and Discuss

      Discussion: What makes a composition a free form poem rather than simply a piece of chopped-about prose? This is something that taxes me and I would love feedback.

       

Bonnie Jean, if I may be so bold (and too often am), you have no cause whatever for embarrassment.

Look above at Bonnie Roberts and James Hercules and James Brown and Jim Spain and Ronald--five of the finest critical minds on these pages--attempting to define poetry.

And failing magnificently. 

While reading their wonderful posts I have come to some penetrating new insights on the nature of poetry and prose. What I have NOT learned is--what IS poetry?

I mean, a normative "definition". a delineation that will encompass all poetry. Uh-uh. Not going to happen. And IMO, probably we'll encounter similar roadblocks defining prose.



And in various posts and at various junctures in their discussion, the five thinkers noted above acknowledge the great difficulty of defining art forms--and question the value of the enterprise--if it inhibits the creativity of artists.



Bonnie Jean's question opens up yet anothe avenue of enquiry:how to distinguish (or should we bother) between "prose" and "story" or "fiction"?

A lot of stories, traditional and contemporary, present in Poetry--but many more in what most of us would call "prose". Where's the dividing line?



Help, Fab Five!

Posted by Clark Cook

Good advertisement.

This article appeared recently as an ABC RURAL webpage.

A poem for the grey nomads

By Caddie Brain

Tuesday, 5 June  2012 

If you drive along the Stuart Highway at the moment, it's just one long line of white caravans headed in both directions.

With the cooler months upon us, the grey nomads are out in force.

There's queues at the petrol bowsers, and the caravan parks are full.

It inspired our resident bush poet here at the Northern Territory Country Hour Jim Spain, to pen a few words -

Ramblin' the road that leads to everywhere is mighty good for your soul.

Do not select a particular place, have anywhere as your goal –

Road to Everywhere.

There s a road that leads to everywhere across rolling hills and plains,

by red dirt it is painted, 

even down flat culvert drains.

It stretches to high mountains where wide winged eagles soar, 

it plunges down to valleys and where mighty rivers roar 

then meanders to far oceans with a whitened crystal shore.

Rolling hills dressed in their greenery are solace to your eye, 

as a portrait with a backdrop, a softly tinted sky.

Saltbush plains are finely dotted with pincushion mimosa clumps, 

while corrugated, winding mountain tracks or gravelled trails with stumps, 

cause an exhilaration in a pounding heart which thumps.

Torrential rains rush to the South to make all rivers run - 

with sparkling, glistening water which dances in the sun.

So take the Road to Everywhere, to connect with every other one.

©. Rimeriter circa 2000.

Maggie comes to Town.

Whilst the weather in the west of Aus. was dry and dusty, we have had some country dwellers come to town.
The following post should 'paint the picture' -

Maggie comes to Town.

He had flown across the mountain, because the water’s runnin’ low, parched lands were increasing day by day.

He travelled to the city where the rivers were in flow, found them pleasant and decided he might stay.

It was the Georges, where he landed to have a look around,

found a lake with tall timber at its edge.

High branches with green foliage, somewhat similar to home,

this place might be nice to have a rest.

Soaring high on pleasant updrafts, watching all within his view,

he could see feathered others in their nest.

No sign of predators or fire, left behind the Western Ranges, where drought is causing animals to die.

Soft morning sun from dawn to dusk, green and grassy is the land,

cotton clouds framed by a pale and blue hued sky.

He found a backyard garden, just at the river edge, with a birdbath and low foliage on the scene.

Tasty tank water, right for drinking and for bathing, then a space to spread his wings to stretch and preen.

But little sign of  roadkill, or other food of choice, that was until a human came out through her door.

She spread red meat upon the grass, some soft, some very stringy, more like dead ‘roo or Wallaby’s hardened paw,

which needed both his strong beak, to rip and tear to shreds, as he once did when in his western range.

He then began to sense, this is not so bad at all, even though it began as, very, very strange.

When once he had ‘settled in’, with competition thin, he began his strange but friendly magpie ‘talk’.

So then each and every day, when his human would appear,

he’d fly to her feet to say good morning with a

gutteral magpie  -  “ grawk  ‘.

©. Rimeriter 28/4/12.

Leap Year Birthday.

Munger Time.

Long time no write.

Maybe because, 

there’s nothing much about which to skite.

But I’ll persevere and pen a few, about a recent luncheon do.

Phil’s  birthday. 

He’s just turned ten, takes his place with older men. 

Born in a leap he skips a few so we just had to have a do.

P’raps never been naughty and he'd really reached forty, 

so we made our way to Chowder Bay.

Ripples Restaurant is situate there, 

so we booked a table and of course a chair.

They gave us some grub on funny plates – 

( not the place for some bushie mates )

 – but the tucker was good ‘n so were we.

Mother, Chrissy and I made three.

Phil came too – well naturally.

© Rimeriter.11/3/12.

Bush Hat.

A broad-brimmed hat
is as much a part of working
in the Australian Outback
as sturdy boots.
 (Neroli Roocke)

The image is made available by Neroll, ABC Rural.
                                           ***


Bloody ol' Hat.


This bloody ol’ hat is not just tat, it keeps sun off our head,
the very wide brim protects our neck ‘n keeps it from our eyes.
Wear it always in the bush ‘n under wide blue skies.

(c).Rimeriter. 3/12.

NOTE - This is a work in progress.
I really need some help.

Will you HELP me ??

Blondes are the Best.

I have posted these to make us laugh, because I am told that laughter is good medicine -

Blondes are Best.

A blonde & her housemate are lying in bed 

listening to the next door neighbor's dog.. 

It has been in the backyard barking for hours and hours.

The blonde jumps up out of bed and says, 

"I've had enough of this". 

She goes downstairs.

The blonde finally comes back up to bed and her housmate says, 

"The dog is still barking, what have you been doing?"

The blonde says, 

"I put the dog in our backyard, 

let's see how THEY like it!

**

Two Blondes With Hammers... 

Lynn & Judy were doing some carpenter work on a Habitat for Humanity House. 

Lynn who was nailing down house siding,would reach into her nail pouch, pull out a nail & either toss it over her shoulder or nail it in.

Judy, figuring this was worth looking into, asked,

Why are you throwing those nails away?'

Lynn explained, 'When I pull a nail out of my pouch, about half of them have the head on the wrong end and I throw them away.'

Judy got completely upset and yelled, 

'You moron! Those nails aren't defective! 

They're for the other side of the house!'

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A blonde was driving home after a game & got caught in a really bad hailstorm.. 

Her car was covered with dents, so the next day she took it To a repair shop. 

The shop owner saw that she was a blonde, so he decided to have some fun... 

He told her to go home and blow into the tail pipe really hard, & all the dents would pop out.

So, the blonde went home, got down on her hands & knees & started blowing into her tailpipe..  Nothing happened.. So she blew a little harder, & still nothing happened.

Her blonde roommate saw her & asked, 'What are you doing?' 

The first blonde told her how the repairman had instructed her to blow into the tail pipe 

in order to get all the dents to pop out.

The roommate rolled her eyes and said,

 'Uh, like hello! 

You need to roll up the windows first.'

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A blonde was shopping at Target & came across a shiny silver thermos. 

She was quite fascinated by it, so she picked it up & took it to the clerk to ask what it was. 

The clerk said, 'Why, that's a thermos.....

It keeps hot things hot,  And cold things cold.'

'Wow, said the blonde, 'that's amazing.....I'm going to buy it!' 

So she bought the thermos & took it to work the next day. Her boss saw it on her desk. 'What's that,' he asked?

'Why, that's a thermos..... It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold,' she replied..

Her boss inquired, 'What do you have in it?'

The blond replied......

'Two popsicles & some coffee.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

A blonde goes into work one morning crying her eyes out. Her boss asked sympathetically, 'What's the matter?'

The blonde replies, 'Early this morning I got a phone call saying that my mother had passed away.' 

The boss, feeling sorry for her, says, 'Why don't you go home for the day? Take the day off to relax & rest.'

'Thanks, but I'd be better off here. 

I need to keep my mind off it and I have the best chance of doing that here.' 

The boss agrees & allows the blonde to work as usual.

A couple of hours pass and the boss decides to check on the blonde. 

He looks out from his office and sees the blonde crying hysterically... 'What's so bad now? Are you gonna be okay?' he asks.

'No!' exclaims the blonde. 

'I just received a horrible call from my sister. 

Her mother died, too!'

Blondes Are The Best !!!