You can probably tell by the prolific number of dishcloths that I have been watching Wimbledon. What a great men’s final by two champions. I know they are both quietly generous philanthropists and they are role models for men. Such a change from thuggish league and rugby behaviour. They are respectful of each other, of their family and friends. Rog has always been my fav but I think this was the time for Novak to win.
I have just finished The Dressmaker, an Australian novel by Rosalie Ham. Kind of offbeat and some black humour but really enjoyable as well. I am about to start The Kindness of Your Nature by Linda Olsen as I enjoyed her Let me Sing You Gentle Songs.
I’ve been working on the silicone finish for more tiles and am about to set up a tile tab to see if I can sell a few just to cover the cost of the materials, I am finding it reasonably easy to live within my means but it is very tempting when the film festival is starting to earn a bit more so I might have to resort to some contract work . There are about 15 films I want to see.
I also sat and did a lot of cutting out in the rain at the weekend! I am thinking of covering our cheap coffee table as above. Might look a bit too naff but it was so enjoyable, remember playing with scraps for hours as a child?
I saw Jersey Boys and Calvary at the weekend. Jersey Boys is a good romp through some great songs and is very similar to the stage show. I found Calvary very interesting, they bill it as a dark comedy but for me it was a really interesting look at ethics in the vein of The Magdalena Sisters which had a profound influence on me. Not as bleak though. My companion wept at the end so not much of a comedy…I would be interested in the opinions of anyone who has seen it. The main actor was fantastic.
Finally i am working on my uni poetry course and have been editing The Heron poem. I’ve changed the title from The Herons to focus on just her with the others as onlookers. When I wrote the line “skirt hoisted” I knew in the back of my mind there was a painting of a woman with her skirts hoisted so I searched and found her and she became part of the poem.
I find editing really difficult so this has been good discipline for me as sometimes the bending of lines to fit a form or whatever often destroys it for me. Please give me feed back. FG
Heron at Okarito Lagoon
She stands on lean legs in the glass lagoon.
Her skirt hoisted to her thighs, her reflection
a mirror, Rembrandt’s loyal wife.
The congress in the trees, hunch in white gowns,
perch smugly, their judge-heads nodding to one another,
peer lecherous, down to the water.
They cannot see themselves, guilt-framed.
They imagine the concubine, whore, courtesan,
slow span of wings wide in feigned stretch, covet
the beauty so unaware they long for her,
all of her, all of them.
Fluffy George 