In my teenage years, I came across the above stanza derived from Thomas Osbert Mordaunt's poem 'The Call' in the book 'One Crowded Hour' written by Tim Bowden. The book documented the life and death of Australian war photojournalist Neil Davis who is best remembered for his work on the front line in the confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia in Borneo and the Vietnam War.
Read moreThe Lorax - Dr Suess - 1971 - Ahead of its Time!!
“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.”
Read moreTravel Books
I was thinking about how our perceptions change with age and how children can be a lot closer to reality as they see the world unclouded by the mental filters and preconceptions that build up in our adult lives. It reminded me of a quote by Peter Matthiessen, my favourite author and I went to my bookshelf to look it up;
Read moreExpect Nothing
Some mornings very little happens down the River. You wait and watch……….The Terns are fishing on the other side, there is a solitary Pelican way off and the Osprey flies high in the other direction. This morning was one of those and it bought to mind two Buddhist sayings by Pema Chödrön, "Expect Nothing" and "Abandon Hope".
Read moreStillness
Sometimes it seems to me as if loneliness and sadness pervades life on a daily basis. We are so busy with our lives, rushing around, trying to fulfill perceived expectations and making endless exhausting attempts to feel good or stave off difficult emotions.
Read moreSeeing the Seagull
Until very recently I have never paid any attention to Seagulls, written off in my mind as boring pests, a brief glance was all I ever afforded. I first noticed it about a month ago, at the river alone, no Ospreys, no Egrets, no Herons, no Spoonbills to steal my attention, only seagulls...............
Read moreThe Stolen Child - W.B. Yeats
I have always loved this wonderful poem, it captures wildness and speaks of magical worlds where faeries reside and nature's rhythm plays unbounded by human interference..........I am drawn to see these other worlds, if only in tiny transient glimpses, that vanish the moment you realise they are there................
Read moreOspreys Fishing
The Ospreys have a nest on top of pole. Over the last two months, I have been watching them add seaweed and sticks to improve their home. One bird, I am guessing the female, spends a lot of time on the nest while the other perches on a nearby pole or goes for long flights out over the bay.
Read moreMaya Angelou's Poem - I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
I was going through my photos and came across one I took some time ago on a trip to Asia. It is a golden faced hawk with a strong face and defiant eyes. A beautiful bird trapped in a cage. When you look closely at the photo you can see the reflection of the bars in its eye.
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