Family « Off into the sunset …

46. Family [100 poems challenge]

46. Family

When we were young—three girls, two boys—
We generated lots of noise:
The raucousness of childhood games,
Odd arguments, and calling names;
Some sneaky pranks and telling tales,
Accompanied by laughs and wails.
Though now we’re older, more assured,
It’s not quite clear that we’ve matured,
There’s still some teasing, prods and pokes,
Rude belches, chaos, silly jokes;
Our banter, mischief, devilry
Are simply sibling revelry.

21. Vacation [100 poems challenge]

21. Vacation

Pristine lake and rugged mountains
Blood red sun and smoky sky
Sloping tent-site, run-down campground
Mining town, its glories gone.
Ancient kombi jammed with camp gear;
Further filled with Mum and Dad,
My four siblings, me as well, with
Room enough for two Dutch hikers.

10 May 2013 (technically the other side of midnight)

Comments: These are my memories of a holiday […]

8. Innocence [100 poems challenge]

8. Innocence

A dark-haired child,
Relaxed and breathing steadily,
Eyes closed,
Tousled head on the pillow,
Face in repose
Lit softly by the faint hall light
Filtering past the shadow
Watching from the door.

I’m sure my mother knew
I wasn’t really asleep,
And that tucked beneath the blankets
A torch and book awaited her departure
So that I could finish one more chapter,
Maybe two.

27 April 2013

Comments: […]

Walking on air

Today was a public holiday, and I decided to have a relaxing day. I picked up Mum and Dad and we headed down towards Geeveston, where I decided that I’d like to visit the Tahune Airwalk. This is an elevated walkway that takes you above the temperate rainforest along the banks of the Huon River, climaxing […]

50th wedding anniversary

Four days after Christmas my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Their children (including me) organised a low-key casual barbecue for family and special friends to mark the occasion, held at the Waterworks Reserve which is a lovely bushy picnic area located on the boundary of Hobart as it turns into the mountain. After some initial […]

Christmas Day 2012

My siblings and I managed to organise things so that my Adelaide brother and his family arrived at our traditional Christmas day gathering as a complete surprise for my parents (which came as no small relief to me, as I had been rather fearful about being the one to let it slip!). The look on my […]

Santa in triplicate

[Should any “victim” chance upon this account and put 2 and 2 together, I hereby swear you to secrecy.]

This year it was time to induct two of my older nephews into the ancient family tradition of the Secret Santa Cookie Drop Run (it didn’t have capitals when I was a kid; in fact I don’t think […]

A little break

I borrowed one of my nieces, B, on a gloriously sunny winter Saturday, so she and I could have some fun somewhere in the outdoors.

We headed up to the Waterworks Reserve, nestled beneath the Mountain, and had our lunch to the sound of kookaburras in the nearby trees.

We then enjoyed a stroll around the upper reservoir, […]

“You haven’t changed a bit”

Since moving back to Tasmania I have been meeting up with people that I used to know from various times in my pre-Victorian past. In some cases, I haven’t seen these folks since long before I moved to Melbourne 13 years ago.

On many occasions early in the conversation they have said to me “You haven’t changed […]

12 of 12, February 2012

Earlier this week I decided that I had “moved in” enough that I could face the true test of having moved back to Tasmania: hosting the family Sunday night dinner. For a number of years this event has alternated from week to week among the homes of my Hobart siblings and parents, and as an infrequent […]

Off into the sunset …

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