Festival Gods

Even the Festival gods would never have 

dreamed up this one ... 

Poetry debut: check

Festival close: check

Drive to Tullamarine: check

Collects friends' unattended luggage in International Departures: check

Avoid airport lockdown: check

Sweet-talk check-in staff and secure leniency on over-weight luggage: check

Begin goodbyes to my Teresa and her beautiful precious family: check

Sob like a baby: check

Attempt goodbye selfie: check

Sob again: check

Uncontrolled sobbing: check

Abandon idea of goodbye selfie: check

Adieu to my Teresa and her beautiful precious family: check

Sob again: check

Final waves goodbye: check

More uncontrolled sobbing:check 

Drive home: pending

More sobbing: check

... arrival, departure, journey, travel, destination, 

home, family, connection, pathway, return ... 

mapping

❤️🌏

 #festivalgods #writersinaction #sheppfest #latrobeuni 

#mapping #spokenwordpoetry 

Mapping A Past

I attended a Festival event today. 

At 9.38, my perpetual lateness had me arrive ... late. 

Formal introductions complete and Welcome to Country duly done and dusted, I recognised the silhouette of someone who used to be a significant person in my life. My SP avoided my gaze. I watched her laugh and chat easily with other attendees and flip in and out of the room like a bird.

At 11.07, she indicated the toilets to me as though we had never met.

At 1.39, I filled my cup with the plunger coffee she had made; it was weak, the same colour as the beige cups and saucers lining the wall. And smelled worse. 

She's not a coffee drinker.

In a former life, before she lost me, I cared for her and dried her tears. We talked 'til dawn and solved the problems of the universe.

She was my dear friend. 

In short, I loved her.

Today, we each pretended we were strangers.

And my coffee tasted like lost friendship.

#sheppfest #writersinaction #latrobeuni #mapping