ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

What's RMIC, Bill ?

In those days it was know as ROYAL MELBOURNE TECHNICAL COLLAGE Where all Trade Apprentices went on their last year of training of their Apprenticeship. there were four of us used to go there one every four weeks and parking was a problem so we would take in turns to drive there and pay the parking fine which was ten bob in those days so it was not to bad haveing to pay 2/6 per fortnight I passed my Apprenticship With Honours in Plumbing and gave it away for quite a few years.


Sorry mate typing error RMTC

Bill the old Battler

Ah, thanks William. I didn't have a clue , typing eror or not

...shoulda stuck with the plumbing Bill, they make a bloody fotrune, a bloke told me once.."bloody plumbers, they're like alternators, charge like hell while they are idling!"

Have a listen to Greg Norths Tradie poem .


So true


Bob

G'day Maureen, and everyone.

I am expecting a tradie today to install my new gas heater. I wanted to go 'wood' but Wayne talked me out of it.

Re; word count for BS. I looked over my one and only entry for this year and found I had 731 words... I thought it too many over, - so I chopped a stanza and adjusted the rest. As I have been away, it was a last minute rush.. why do I do it? I have all year to get an entry ready and, (still) I am rushing round on the last day to get something in.

oh and it ended up at 689 words

Well you are in the clear Zondrae...mine ended up at 786 but figured they weren't going to count every word and considering I had pruned it down from over 1000 that was about as good as it was going to get.

It is all in the lap of the Gods now anyway...I haven't cleared a space on my bookshelf so not anticipating anything but wanted to at least give it a shot

G'day Maureen,

No, me neither. I'm getting a bit nervous.. my bucket list is getting short. Does that mean my time is almost up? I'll have to think of a few more things I want to do - and quick. The tradie who came to install the heater noticed the trophy (can't miss it, it is a great lump of wood) from the NFF, on the mantelpiece. It will leave a big gap when it goes back. I might see if someone can make a little replica for me to have as a keepsake. It is a perpetual trophy and you can only win it once. (silly rule)

oohh, I know.. I would like to go to Tamworth one year.... and I would like to build up courage to attend the NSW performance Championships again. Oh and also..
I guess there are lots of things I can add... phew, that's a reief.

Aren't you all glad the BS entries have closed now?? Done and dusted, and no more worrying about the word count!!! You women are so lucky you have that many words to be able to prune down.I don't know how you do it - I run out of words well before then!!!

However, my new years resolution was to get myself organised and enter a couple of competitions this year. Guess what???? I actually put two entries in for the Bronze Swagman, not that I expect them to do any good - my words are ordinary, rather than original!! - but have never considered entering this comp before, because I understood they wanted at least 800 words - and I don't write poems that long. Managed a 577 and a 688 word count - a record for me, I think!!!
So - news years resolution achieved!!!!
Glad to see I'm not the only one who leaves things to the last minute Zondrae!! Had to go to Perth today, so finished my second poem on the way, took my netbook and portable printer with me, and finished typing it, then printed it when I arrived early for my meeting!! The 'arriving early' for the meeting was an achievement for me, let alone getting two poems posted off!!!

Good for you Irene,

And don't discount your writing. You write some lovely poems and also some very powerful and touching ones.

As to the length; they will gradually increased in length over time, kind of a natural progression, more or less. Mine did anyway.

They trouble is, I am getting lazy. I haven't been trying to think up any other material. All I do is the group work. Like I often say - I am so busy writing that I have no time for 'writing'. I was really disappointed with myself to only have one sole poem for the BS. Even that one was finished in a rush. I used to keep a list of ideas for poems but I have become so slack I don't even know where the list is. mm I'll check my bookshelf.

Thanks for your input, it may just spark me off. Good luck with your entry in the BS.