joe-massingham-1
English
I’ve had a lifetime love affair with writing, literally any sort of writing, but only recently / has it become my sole earning activity. / / I’ve written letters to the newspapers, articles for both local and national papers, poetry for anthologies journals and literary magazines( I had exactly 100 poems accepted for publication in the 2012 calendar year), academic articles and a doctoral thesis, business plans for not-for-profit organisations, grant applications and tenders, sales letters and brochures and letters. / Things I’ve been or done include: / / Convenor, Armidale Festival of Words and Music / Judge at various writing competitions in NSW, ACT and UK / Writing teacher, University of the Third Age, NSW / Delivered creative writing classes throughout New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory. / Published poet, essayist, academic and occasional journalist. / / I would love to be recognised as having some talent some day
Geoffrey Chaucer died last weekend
about six hundred years ago.
One Autumn day muffled drums tapped
out a dying pulse, a knock at
heaven’s gate. I listen for hooves,
the soft thud of an old man’s shoes
on the path outside the ‘grace mansion’
in the corner of the churchyard,
thinking he might just be riding
down to Canterbury again;
but no, hooves and voices are both
silent. No more good wives’ tales
set down between journeys on the
King’s or even Bishop’s business
and reread at evening stops at
some inn along the Kentish road.
I sit a little longer, sad
until the voices of a priest,
a nun, a soldier, an ostler
carry to me upon the breeze
and I know the pleasure you will,
somewhere, sometime, in future years.
Nov 14, 2013
Nov 14, 2013 at 5:43 PM UTC