seahorses
riding the current by

cast smiles
with fishy eyes

rolling
with laughter
and the joy
of sea

climbing ashore
there’s found a bound
of kangaroos
that breaks
to scatter
over waves
of ever-sighing
dunes

there stalk
the winding snakes
on sand
that glistens
with a myriad of gems

then come
the busy postmen
of the flowers
with vibrant
conversation
buzz the air

and swift
the swallows
dip
and dive

how the sun races over the sky

to sink

with silent
tolling of a bell

to wake
and put
the coffee on

love the journey in this one. 
love the 'reference to bees'.
well crafted that part.  love the
tolling of the bell.

stumbled on l1 and l2 of S4.
but, got through it ok on
second try.

thanks,

tiko

Milner, I especially love the roos' S, and "stalk/the winding snakes/on sand", and the last 7 lines' metaphorizing of the sun and a human's mind. Tom

This poem is fun. I like the way it dips its toes in the water and runs through the dune grass in the morning light.

Apparently the collective noun for a group of kangaroos is a mob, troop, or court (I've just found out lol) but I must say I think a bound of kangaroos is better!  A lovely stanza in which it resonates wonderfully.

climbing ashore
there’s found a bound
of kangaroos
that breaks
to scatter
over waves
of ever-sighing
dunes

A delight of a dream.  Much to savour here, may well have to comment further

So far so good - thanks guys. Yes, I understand the stumble there, Tiko, but that you surmounted it pleaseth me.

I must to confess to feeling a mite smug, Peter, when 'bound' came into my head as a collective noun (guess that may have tripped up Tiko). May it ever reach Australia, and catch on?

Thanks again all

milner

Found myself browsing collective nouns.  An aarmory of aardvarks, A skulk  of foxes, A ballet of swans, not just animals: A boast of soldiers, A clutch of wrestlers.  Makes one wonder about the poetic thought that went into creating the older traditional ones too.  And yep in these days of jet travel and internet, I wouldn't be surprised if a bound of kangaroos is already currency in an outback bar right now!

http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives/

http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/kennel/collectives.htm

milner a quest worth taking and much enjoyable at that.  i was thinking on S3, 'joy of the sea' for me is implied is S1, wondering if 'rolling with laughter' could start S4, transitioning to the shore.  in keeping up with the tone, also thinking that dropping 'the' from last line might serve well, considering my eyes want to read a 'a' between 'with' and 'silent'.  as always, cast these thoughts into the mighty sea as you please! vivid travels milner. lawrence

The sound in this stays in step with the line breaks, almost magically. The imagery is quite  stunning. Might consider glistens in the singular in S5. Enjoyed the read, the ride. Needs to be picked, so I shall.

larry

Thanks, Lawrence, I'll give thought to those matter. So often in my writing, choice or decisions on words relate to how I hear the poem, and sound is important to me.

Thanks, Larry, that you've chosen to pick it makes my day. I'd 'glistens' relating to 'sand', rather than 'snakes', but maybe it would be better the other way. A bit of pondering before making a decision.

Cheers

milner

Ed, Todd Moore noted the movement in much of my stuff. I think it comes from not 'thinking' during the first drafts - letting the brain run on through its tenuous connections - keeping the 'thoughts' for later. Thanks.

SL, your illustrations are ever beautiful and revealing.

milner

Thanks, Ed. I avoided using 'stream of consciousness' in relation to the process, because there is an element of discipline in the drafts, coming from practice, which that expression doesn't imply. Years back, the 'stream' would probably have been apt, because the process would have gone through a series of notes. I rarely need to do that now. Whether or no that would be true if I ventured into a completely new 'style' is problematic.

Cheers

milner

So much life in these lines!

Rick

It was my turn to pick the front page poem this week, and this gem made the task so easy, Milner. The rhythms and music in this poem are delightful. So many musical twists and turns. It's delightful to listen to, and we'll have to get you to read it for us so that we can post an accompanying audio.

I picked this before reading a single comment. Now I get to go back and read the comments to see whether listeners heard what I did.

Congrats, Milner!

congrats, Milner.

tiko

A lovely poem for the front page!

Especially gratified that you chose to pick this, Jay, as I'd at first thought of it as an ugly duckling. To have it judged to have fledged as a swan will brighten my mornings for quite a while. Many thanks

milner

I rarely emote — but in this case, if you'll forgive me, I will — just bloody grand, G; just grand. The connotation (s) leave me spellbound.

Splendid — appreciated!

R




.

Thanks, Tom, Tiko, Lavonne.

Gracias, Don Ricardo. Voy al bar para tomar algunos cervezas con compadres de la pluma que baile.

See you later, folks.

milner

Let me add my enjoyment - I just realized that for all the times I read this, I never left a comment! M

Michelle, to know that you read this a number of times is sufficient for me. Thanks

milner

congratulations, milner!

so nice to see you on the front page - lovely poem to start the day with, glad to have stopped in, N

Thanks for your kind words, Stella and Nora, and for your company.

milner

A good poem, Milner! "...vibrant/ conversation/ buzz the air" is very fine. Nice to read your poetry again.
Vasile

Thanks, Vasile. Hope the summer is full of vibrant buzzing in Romania.

milner

Yes it is, Milner, especially on tv political talk-shows on crisis...