ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Each year there is an international competition for short English poetry of 25 lines or less - in memory of Indian Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore.

This year I was fortunate enough to be placed fifth with my poem describing the orchestral passage of a full circle of changing seasons in Queensland ...

SEASONS
(c) Shelley Hansen 2016

The Springtime carpet covers plains once dry,
orchestral grasses sway in symphony,
conducted by the breeze which passes by
unfettered - always restless, always free.
Sweet music soothes the sighing soul with peace
and heals the troubled heart with sweet release.

The march of Summer moves with drumming beat,
proclaiming martial rule with tyrant hand.
The air ignites with trumpet blasts of heat
and thunder's crashing cymbals shake the land.
The gusting gales wage warfare with the rain
as fire and flood wreak vengeance on the plain.

The Autumn days are elegant and crisp.
They echo songs of Summer, lightly played
on lower volume, woven with a wisp
of wily wind cavorting through the glade.
The sunset draws its curtain to display
an audience of stars - the Milky Way.

The dawning Winter day disturbs a dream
as pale moon fades before its blushing glow.
A breath of fluted ripples on the stream
creates a lilting lullaby to slow
the heartbeat of the hibernating Earth,
that she might rest until the Springtime's birth.

I enjoyed this, Shelley. Beautifully written.

It reminds me of C. J. Dennis on two counts:

1. The ABABCC rhyming pattern, which he was so fond of.

2. "Four seasons" in one poem reminds of the "four seasons in one book" of "The Singing Garden".

I agree with Stephen...this is delightful

Yes, beautifully done, Shelley. And with its musical theme, there are also links to Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.

Cheers
David

Thanks Stephen, Maureen and David -

You are all very perceptive!

Stephen - you are right about the CJD link - this is actually a "cut down" of a longer poem I wrote for the open section of the Toolangi written competition last year. It was inspired by the The Singing Garden but with a Queensland flavour. It didn't catch the judge's eye in that competition - perhaps the original version was too long (though it did subsequently get a HC elsewhere).

David - Vivaldi's Four Seasons was indeed my other inspiration - well spotted!

Cheers
Shelley

Using this one for next week's show if that's ok Shelly?

Certainly Manfred - no problem.

Thanks
Shelley