Storytime

Recently I, along with a friend and her grandchild, travelled to the wondrous wilds of Warragul. Not especially wild of course but I liked the alliteration. Why, you may ask, did we travel forth? For 'a night of outstanding entertainment' or so the flyer promised. A new venture  (although she has ran other ventures) run by the incorrigible Yvette Stubbs and the subdued and demure Dollsy G. Yvette is an artist / poet / entertainer and we looked forward to a night of fun. Fun it was.  Featured performers were Wendy Sellings, clad in pink tutu,  playing her ukelele to her original songs (especially loved Blood, Blood, Blood)  Anthea Williams, and her interpretative poetry and out there costumes.  Gerard Lewis-Fitzgerald and his poetry, which made us run an emotional gamut from laughter to sadness, contemplation to sorrow.  And of course there was Yvette... Not only hosting and encouraging, but performing ...

Another year rolls on and another year of poetry in the Dandenongs. Last Sunday we had the first Poetry in the Hills for 2017. Held in the Belgrave Library, it is a great place to share your work. Sing a song...recite your poem....read a piece of memoir...play the ukelele.  Yes we have it all. As usual it was a great mix of work. Some memoir, the majority poetry, even a performance as a poet had memorised her poem. Always a winner in my book. The poetry was wide ranging. From political to observations of every day. One poet wrote a piece for his wife to celebrate 30 years together...she heard it first at the gig. There were pieces on mental illness, on trying to find peace in the chaos of the world. There were pieces on personal development, on the struggle with relationships, on finding relationships and on keeping relationships. Not only is the work so varied but the readers as well. Some were nervous, others full of confidence, some bristling with indecision....

Went to a poetry event a while ago and after enjoying the open stage, which was definitely an eclectic mix, overheard someone say ''yes, it was------(long pause) ------interesting.' Interesting? Yes it was interesting, but it was also entertaining. Inspiring. Funny. Sad. Thought provoking. That is what I really enjoy about open stage. You never know exactly what you will get. And let's face it, variety is everything. A grove of trees, all the same, do look amazing. But imagine if that was all there was. Nothing else. I wouldn't call that a garden, not for me. I like the fact that the seasons change it all. Bluebells appear in a flurry of colour, in autumn leaves deck the ground, winter and the hellebores flower beneath the stark branches. Some poems and poets make you go 'WOW'. And there are times when you want more. More of those words that took your heart and twisted it tight. Made you smile, laugh out loud. Made you shudder...