It feels so good 'To Be True' #poetspicnic

We found our spot on the green lawn at Blackburn Gardens and set up a lovely picnic hamper on our blanket. Pip and I were the foot of the Woollahra Library with the polite, relaxed crowd and settled in for an evening of poetry. The theme was Birds, Bees and Trees for the 26^th annual Poets Picnic. There could not have been a more perfect setting anywhere in the world, than by the water at Double Bay, that delightful summer evening.

The stage was set with the sparkling Sydney Harbour as a backdrop and each poet stood before us all and read out load. The Manly Ferries and late sailing boats where bobbing by in the background. Birds called on cue, from the dear old trees above as silence fell across the quiet crowd.

From the very first poem I knew Pip and I were in for something special. I do love the element of surprise, when an event far outweighs your expectations. I didn’t expect to be moved by the poetry the way I was. I didn’t expect the poems to be read with such passion and conviction. For the topics to be so much in align with my own love of nature and yet teaching me to look even deeper, to care, to learn, to want to contribute to the environment in a positive way.

Fiona Wright started by reading ‘Frangipani’ Luke Fischer, ‘Band of Cockatoos’ Margaret Bradstock ‘Walking by the Wetlands’ and then Nikki Gemmell stood on the stage. Nikki announced, ‘I do not write poetry,’ but shared the poems that move her and inspire her novel writing. And in sharing what moved Nikki, we were also moved. ‘Bedecked’ by Victoria Redel and ‘Essay’ by Hayden Carruth were both fabulous poems. Layer upon layer of poems, spoken, swirling over our heads and into our hearts…. and then fading out to sea.  

‘Oh… now I want to be a poet,’ I announce to Pip, and being the friend that she is, this came as no surprise. It’s so lovely to have a friend like that.

Another great treat that night was listening to the Yr 11 & 12 students read. Wow they were truly incredible, reading out their own poetry. Moving us, making us laugh, challenging our fixed way of thinking as we admired their confidence and bright youthful enthusiasm.

I sat back and took a deep breath as the soft rain started to fall. Miles Merrill had performed his wonderful poetry with additional sounds, Theodore Ell and then Les Murray stood under the now golden stage.  I almost had to pinch myself, as it was such a magical evening. Les recited a poem and mentions rain, and then… yes..the soft rain fell.

 It feels so so good to reach a stage in life when I value myself enough to seek out what makes my heart sing. Part of me knew how much I was going to enjoy this special evening but part of me is still surprised by just how good it feels to be true. When you are in the right place at the right time, you can really feel it. This event has given a new spark to my writing aspirations. I am going to keep at it and believe I can make a make a career from my love of the written word..with a dash of yoga and meditation mixed in.                                                              Next step....a Web site....stay tuned xx