Twenty Years of Poetry in Paradise on the Gold Coast

Twenty Years Ago.

Mr Cameron was my teacher.

In 1971 I wrote my first poem.

He taught me how to write it on my own.

I never shared my poetry

I kept it up for years by myself.

Just left it in a book upon the shelf.

Doubt made me keep my poems

Fear of being ridiculed by anyone.

A secret known only to my inner sun.

I started writing with new passion

Having children changed my heart

Inspired by their love from the very start

Put it out into the world

Eventually I shared a poem

Somehow it made me feel so alone

I failed but it gave me a poem

I joined a low self-esteem course

They kept it, and didn’t pay, that’s worse

This idea was a waste of time

I joined one local writers group

They didn’t believe my story, I did not make a scoop

I reached the bottom of despair

All alone and feeling rejected

I summoned up the courage to stop feeling dejected

There was just me myself and I

The first three months were special.

Then on air with the ABC, I started off like a pebble

Third Saturday in the morning

Jennifer Eden let me recite on air

Five people showed up that Sunday, they were all there

Manya and John were there smiling

Dancin Dan was the brightest

Lydia and Bob put my anxiety to the test

An invitation monthly on the air

The group continued to grow steadily

Word of mouth made the poets come more readily

Then we moved to The Old teahouse

Two years at Bundall had gone by so fast

Way out in the hills, by the old horse and cart

Their veranda became our home

I think we peaked at thirty poets

The new owners pushed us out, wouldn’t ya know it

Café Jumbo Java hosted us twice

After a long and tiring search and a dedicated hunt

Bindi at the library took us in on a hopeful punt

Though we have travelled here and there

The library has long been our home

It’s free and it’s the best venue we have known

Several have shuffled off

The poets have joined in and dropped out

others have maintained their presence, devout.

There are a few others with us

Only three originals are here today

They all feel like foundation members anyway.

The camaraderie of care

The poetry and the friendship bide us

The mateship, the kindness the faith and trust

It’s a symbiotic relationship.

I wouldn’t be here without you

Your support brings happiness, allows me to do what I do

We’ve shared our hearts and tears.

Twenty years we have recited together.

Some day will be united in a better place forever.

Our group has changed several lives

We’ve shared our hopes and our despair.

There’s comfort knowing someone else has been there

I’ve made you laugh, we’ve made each other cry

Thank you, poets, friends, thank you one and all

I wouldn’t have missed a minute; I’ve really had a ball.

Twenty Years of Poetry in Paradise on the Gold Coast

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