On the LNP Queensland rout

How come o mighty Captain Abbott

You're trembling in your boots?

What a kick the Queensland vote

Was to your Honourable butt

Your abbot-ship is in danger but

It is well known when duty calls

The captain goes down with the ship

We are expecting nothing less from you.

Well served Sir, we salute you!

We might even give you a gong

For your entertainment value

First order you deserve not less.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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A visit to the hospital

Visit to the hospital

The patient in the second bed

Has been here for more than a month

On inquiring why he was there

He told us: "the knee and the hip

Had to replace them, you see!"

On commenting it must have been 

Hard to stay so long here

His answer was :

"Oh I missed so much Christmas

When my wife told me

She had put down the Christmas decorations

I realized I had not seen them, you know! 

I love the festive period so much

All the trimmings and the family,

The children and grandchildren around,

You can't replace it, you know!"

He's got his priorities right, I say. 

No need for money and power

When love surrounds you

You are the richest and happiest man !

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Ocean of pain

After the severe storm 

Wave after wave 

Dry heaving, retching 

Comes and passes me by,

Leaving me as a wreck, alone

In utter misery,

Bent over

In the fetus position

On she shores of the ocean of pain

Bordered by the endless hours of the night

I barely breathe 

Shallow and tentative 

Shivering, taunt 

Each of them is felt

Bewildered as to the cause

Shocked to its effect

Hoping for sleep release

Cringing against a new assault

An upcoming attack

For war we are waging

My body and I

Will I make it to the morning?

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Blazing pain

The last comfort of rest

In my bed is denied to me

As pain incrusts itself 

In every nook and cranny 

Of my decrepit body

Making it a foreplay to hell

Constant pain throbbing 

Without any respite

The mattress develops hurtful knobs

Against which my fragility

Finds no defense

The blankets acquire

A sudden heaviness

Insufferable to turn and toss

Stretch and curl

Each second morphs to infinity

Or so it seems in the endless night

To find a senseless position

Where pain stays muted 

And not flicker up lapping

Against the sinews and joints

A red hot iron bar crushes

Bones and flesh

Blazing pain radiating 

Throughout every breath 

To sleep would be a blessing

Pain go away, already

You have stayed too long

Too afraid to take a pill

That could worsen it all

I have to go through it all.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Modern medicine

Miracles of modern medicine,

They can do wonders today,

They fix you in a wink,

Go and see the doctor,

They all told me,

You'll be fine they said,

Not to worry they repeated.

His first question was not

What brings you here?

But rather the more pragmatic

Do you have any private insurance?

On the negative answer that I gave

My treatment was short

To the point of non existent

And don't forget

In case of emergency 

Go to the hospital!

Not even a good bye

I was given.

Next!

Lucette C. Bailliet

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In the streets

In the cities all along the back streets

The lace of the fire stairs hangs

Along the walls of the buildings

Like a sheer curtain framing a window

Bringing a cosy feel to the street

The domesticity of the neighborhood 

Increases by leaps while obscurity 

Is kept at bay with the high street lamps

It is called  home to so many     

Finding refuge in a door way 

An underground vent is the best bet

Against the winter breeze

But is a highly disputed space

Carton boxes are a luxury.

The night will be good

When a friend shares a bottle

By the lit fire but it can be deadly too. 

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Credit Picture Gary Introne

Midsummer

Already it's midsummer,

Juicy cherries and soft

Fragrant fleshed mangoes

Have come and gone.

Now is the time of moist apricots, 

Dewy peaches and crimson plums.

Soon figs and sweet melons

Will refresh our sated palates

And summer bounty will end

With grapes and pomegranates.

What earthy luscious delights

This season cornucopia has been!

Why does it need to finish so soon?

I wish it would never end,

But everything has an end date.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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When the didge sings

Listen to the didgeridoo 

When it sings along

With his mellow voice

Taking you under a starry sky

By the banks of a sunken lake

The world is yours

And your spirit soars free.

Listen to the didgeridoo 

When its sound rolls around

Through arhythmic cadences 

In a mossy cave

Where water trickles

Slowly down pulling into a basin

Feeling the connection

With long ago spirits

Peaceful is the world.

Listen to the didgeridoo

Leading you hooting and rolling

Near an aromatic pit fire

With its allusive smoke 

To the stories of old

Of the dreaming time

They are of today

Can you hear it?

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Dichotomy II

I don't know about you

But I think I'm young

When I know I'm old.

Why is it that I think I'm strong

But know I'm weak?

How come

I think I'm healthy

When I know I'm dying?

Dare I mention that

I think I'm intelligent

But know I'm ignorant.

Not to add that

I think I'm successful

Yet know to be a failure.

That splitting mind of mine

Drives me insane

So who should I believe

My thoughts

Or my knowledge?

Lucette C. Bailliet

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At the hairdresser

SBecause she was cutting my hair

I was stuck in a chair

When she told me

"What you're saying doll?"

I thought she was speaking to a troll.

Her broad 'strayan pitch

Caused my skin to itch

I lowered my lingo 

And gave it a go

So she could get it, 

While she kept at it

And now I am the proud owner

Of a new trend : the coconut wear

Guaranteed to last a year!

Lucette C. Bailliet

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The old whore

When France has a cough

The world rushes to her bedside

To check her pulse

Anxious about her comfort.

The old lady has still life in her

Her spirit is strong yet

She took to the streets 

And worked them 

Like a pro!

She can kick some ass

Oh dear, are we going 

For a new explosion?

For she's some temper

The old whore,

Raped, abused and knocked down

Her appeal is universal

She still has a voice

And sings loudly,

Her Tired but ever true faith

"Liberty, equality, brotherhood".

Three simple words,

It's enough to give nightmares 

For those who would prefer 

The masses to be blind and deaf.

Beware some people

Can hear her populist shout

Are you awake?

Lucette C. Bailliet

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I'm a fool

Cormorants diving and fishing together

Sure to deplete the creek.

Wait aren't they salt water birds?

Obviously not!

The Roos have moved back 

To the upper paddock

It does not make any sense

The grass is greener in the lower one

During this scorching summer.

What drive them to act 

In a counter intuitive way?

What do I know about instinct?

Man surely is hell bound

If we follow the news

Killing and destroying

His own kind

On each and every continent

And here I am 

Commenting on some 

Perceived animalistic aberration.

I'm a fool, that's what I am!  

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Writing

Night after night

The blank page beckons

Begin again!

It orders

Find a theme

Express yourself

Expose your feelings

Swear, cry, shout,

Curse, pledge, beg even

You want to laugh?

It's easy

Whatever goes

What's your problem?

A word calls a word

You get in a rhythm

Once blank the page

Presents you with a pathway

That you'll forget as soon 

As you turn it 

You can twist it,

Plait it, dress it up

Or down, your game

Rhyme it or not

Space it or not

It is all in the end about

What matters

That is writing.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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A day at the beach

Nowadays a day at the beach

Has changed somewhat:

Better study the wave sign

Before bathing, for no surf club

Will come to your rescue,

The sand castles are built by adults,

Drones hover over surfers

Beachwear is long sleeves tees

Above long shorts and sun hats.

The umbrellas shade the dogs,

From the sun hurtful rays,

Children and parents 

Wear sunscreen masks

Still people have fun:

Walking, swimming, playing,

Digging, fishing, talking,

Reading, resting, laughing

Wading, sleeping, eating

But soon it is time

To pack up,

Rinse the salt and fine sand off

Before driving off

Such a lovely day.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Hommage

Mon  cœur est endeuillé ce soir

Wolinski et Cabu 

Ne sont plus

Héros de ma sage adolescence

Ils ont payé le prix de la liberté 

Charb et Tignous

Les ont rejoints

Mon âme est déchirée ce soir

Charlie Hebdo est diminué

Mais pas vaincu!

My heart is in mourning tonight

Wolinski and Cabu

Are no more

Legends of my quiet youth

They've paid the ultimate price for freedom

Charb and Tignous

Have joined them

My soul is torn apart this evening

Charlie Hebdo is bleeding

But still fighting.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Lucette C. Bailliet

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Holiday

Yay! We are on our way

To some holiday

Whiling the hours away

The kilometers add up on the odometer display

Eating the distance like hay

The expressway has turned into a highway

To lead us to the ocean gateway  

We stop to pass the relay

To the other driver on the freeway

Everything becomes a wall of grey

From the gathered clouds spray

To the names of new towns seen

And immediately forgotten

Only focused on the next one

Everything takes on a sway

It's all so faraway

On the beach by the open bay

The dogs and oblivious children play

 Oh happy day!

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Spider and shower ditty

Shower and spider

Might be a rhymer 

But spider and shower

Don't go together

Bed and spider neither

For that matter

The heat of summer

Make them take shelter

Better watch over

That dark corner

Behind the soap dispenser

Let the water 

Whirl it down the gurgler

This unwelcome insider

Has to morph into an outsider

I don't wish to bother

About the critter

For today any longer!

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Summer stroll

Sultry stroll in the evening

The moon popping up 

Beyond the gum tree

To hide herself 

In the smokey cloud

For summer is here

With its cohorts of fires

The cockatoos are screeching

Nesting for the night

The crickets are chirruping

Lost in the dry gras

Along the path 

Lizards absorbing 

The last of the heat scatter

In front of us

Men hiding in their man cave 

Polishing endless car parts

Cats slicking out

Without too much purpose

The heat defeats the chase

Their twilight hunting

Becomes desultory 

The dogs are too exhausted 

To bark at our passing by

Such is life in suburbia,

Humans, pets, wildlife

And creatures, at the end

Meaningless nothingness.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Summer song.

 

Hot winds and scorching temperatures

May mean cooling by the beach

But here in the bush

The questions arise

Have we reach red code yet?

The signs are here

The fires are coming

Soon the blue hill line

Will disappear behind

Billowing dirty clouds

Will the containment lines hold?

The time is come

To take shelter and batten up

The slow passing of the hours

Waiting for the nightly respite

Or the announced change

Will they be on time once again ?

This is the Australian summer song.

Lucette C. Bailliet

 

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Picture from The Guardian Adelaide Hills

Credit :The Humbug Scrub fire which is burning out of control in the Mount Lofty ranges northeast of Adelaide. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

2015 Resolution

Here we are in the New Year

It's time for resolutions:

None but to survive the year

Why? That is a good question?

I won't get better marks if I do 

Or get worse ones if I don't.

Enjoy every day at its most,

In my case not being sick,

Taking life slowly along the seasons.

Being alive beats any alternative 

In my opinion.

I'm not looking for future salvation,

I'm afraid my soul will have to work

That fight for itself if it ever needs it.

For alone we are when it matters

Alone at birth, alone at death.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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