Tasmania: The test tube state.

Warning: This little bit is of no particular interest to anyone outside Australian, but if you must, read on. it does contain a universal message I hope.

Funny isn't it, that the very people we need in top political jobs because of their integrity and not their egos don't go there? Then there are the few who do but leave when they realise 'the job isn't life'.

Of course, there are good people in politics at every level and in every party. But now, when every utterance and every idea is attacked with such virulence, is it any wonder that a person with normal feelings would escape and leave it to the ‘successful psychotics’? So it is time to make top political jobs family friendly? Because, like the song says, "We don't know what we've got til it's gone!"

That David Bartlett was not only making the Tasmanian Government (in coalition with the Greens) work, but seemed to be offering a model to major parties that will need the Greens to form governments at state and federal level in the future.

So, while the Tasmanian (unofficial) state motto seems to have recovered from 'State of Corruption' back to being the 'the Holiday Isle' we will all hold our breaths to see if Lara Giddings can keep it that way.

The picture is of me looking for hope among the debris.
(Stanley, NW Tas, where cattle graze among the ruins of its convict past).

Australia Day 2011.

Advance Austalia Fair-go!
(A tribute to Jimmy Little)










Into the bay the tall ships came.
Brave, desperate, driven.
God given arrogance
hidden behind social graces,
a veneer of civilisation.

Men, custodians of thirty, forty,
fifty thousand years of culture.
Older, wise, inclusive,
watched them come
to a land where none knew
coal and iron slept.

‘A land for a people,
A people for a land!’
It started then,
this short history
written by victors
as it always is.

While Biame’s people,
weakened by European pathogens,
misunderstood and dispossessed,
shot by Christians,
but destroyed ultimately by despair.

This must be the year
when 'The Apology',
wrought in guilt,
delivered in hope
should be judged.
Man to man,
woman to woman,
are we succeeding?
Are we embracing
our common humanity?

Now, using wealth gathered
from less fortunate men,
who make
from coal and iron
the transient artefacts
so desired;
we can pay for others to 'fix it',
if we want.

Or we can look into every eye
for unbidden feelings of love
and return it.

But, as in ‘The greatest love of all’,
It is our children who ‘lead the way’.
Raised in schools where
so many faces of races
have places,
our children already
live the agenda of inclusion;
Citizens of our Accidental Multicultural Society.

Dedicated with love and appreciation to Australian Aboriginal musician and activist Jimmy Little, an 'accidental bridge builder', and his feisty wife Marge, the ‘power behind the throne’.









Tall ships pic courtesy National Library.

Heavenly signs and migratory birds.

Heavenly sign










Lost and desp’rate, frozen through,
And God, that’s all I get from you?
What I propose is
Just like Moses,
Send a burning bush, thank you!

................................................

Or....

Sign of the Climes.

When birdies escape from the snow,
Seeking a climate sublime,
How do they know where to go?
“They look for a Heavenly sign!”




















Oops! These are the pictures intended-


















Oh really!

Pics borrowed from here and here.

Prompted by Magpie Tales.

Jingle Poetry's Rule of Law..

Oops! Jesus was told not to take the boat out!















Reg’lations are sometimes a joke, ‘n
Attention to laws, just a token.
But one thing’s for sure
The unbreakable law
Is “Rules are made to be broken!”

Oh dear! Find more broken rules at Jingle Poetry!

49 Frozen Magpies.

Some days it is better to stay in bed.










We all had forgotten to take
Our woolly ear muffs, goodness sake!
No snowshoes or mittens,
Out noses frost bitten,
And worse, we could not find the lake!

More magpie tales at Tess's place.
PS. Tess is the little cranky one on the right.

Deluge and delusion.

Walking into a supermarket and seeing a wall of empty shelves where fruit and vegetables were usually in abundance was the reality check.
This is how it is in third world countries and for people where a war is being fought around their everyday lives.

But yesterday the human spirit lifted its head as twelve thousand volunteers came from all over to Brisbane, to help clean up. Signs are appearing at food, clothing and bedding collection centres; “No more donations please.” That is the reaction of everyday people to a natural disaster that has washed away cars, homes, businesses, crops, livestock and whole families.

Then we have this from Danny Nalliah of Catch the Fire Ministries:

“ …We started the prayer meeting at 7.30pm and would be finishing at 6am but this issue was so urgent, I thought I must get the info out to you as soon as possible, so that we can repent on behalf of Australia.
Around 8pm on Friday night the 7th of January we had a strong prompting by the Holy Spirit to repent on behalf of Australia. As we started doing so, I was reminded that every time America went against Israel, there was disaster in the land and this has been documented over the years.
Then at once I was reminded of Kevin Rudd speaking against Israel in Israel on 14th December 2010. It is very interesting that Kevin Rudd is from QLD. Is God trying to get our attention? Yes, I believe so.
Also the Lord said to us, “ I will humble Australia and bring her down on her knees. As she has taken pride in my blessing, and man has taken the glory and not given it to Me”.

As you know, I support freedom of speech and this grab for cheap self aggrandisement has not changed my mind. However, it does raise another issue and that is our obligation to give everything we hear the ‘bullshit test’, even from 'trusted' sources and particularely from those who claim to hear the 'voice of God’.

My advice to Danny Nalliah is: “Get off your knees, grab a broom and do something useful! But before you leave home, please take the medcation!”

Photo of kangaroo borrowed from here.

PS. Read Danny's rave in full. I did leave a comment on his site but a 'servant of God' removed it.

Magpie 4/8 time.

Stave off that truble clef!










I play some guitar, read chords well enough
'N sing county songs, I'm honest but rough.
So just leave me be
I dont wanna see
No paper all covered with golf clubs 'n stuff!

See more pesky golf clubs at Magpie Tales.

Jingle Poetry: The Road Ahead.

Journey of life.













Young people can’t wait, that’s a fact
To get their feet out on the track.
But the road ahead sorter
Gets shorter and shorter,
And that’s why old people look back!










More sensible offerings at Jingle Poetry.
Horse laugh borrowed from Metro.

Magpie Mystery Object. (47)

Abstract













I opened my Magpie to find
a shape that would not come to mind.
Don‘t want to be rude
But I had to conclude
“It came from a devious mind”!

Or is it a licorice pretzel?

Go to Magpie Tales for better informed contributions.

My Christmas Epiphany for Jingle Poetry...

Marjorie

In my childhood,
my difficult childhood,
she was there for me.

In her decline,
her long cruel decline,
I was there for her.

But her love
was greater than mine.
She died to set me free.

..........................................................

Photo of Marjorie about 1927 with Rowdy, a name given to a long line of cattle dogs, a tradition still followed by descendaants of Irwin Turnbull of the Ebenezer Turnbulls to this day.
Written after the first anniversary of her death. She died on an anniversary of my birth aged 93, still a power to be reckoned with right to the end.

See more contributions at jingle poetry