Rebecca Manners Full time mother, wife, westie, friend, daughter, pagan, dreamer. Part time writer, poet, domestic goddess, wage earner, student. Currently undertaking a BA English at Massey University. This semester's Creative Writing course giving me the motivation to continue putting pen to paper.
The Old Jeep
I was eight, and you were twelve
defying death at Muriwai, remember?
Dad's old army jeep
out of retirement
fatigued
We clung on in the back
hair lashed our faces
like the tail of an over excited dog
eyes watering
white knuckle grip
Bursting out through forest shadows
screaming at the seagulls
the knackered work horse
tackling the highest dunes
pitching
rolling
sliding sand
Hearts beating fit to bust
arms aching, elbows bruised
like the wind tossed toi tois or
a rodeo cowboy
clinging to a frenzied steer
Hysterical laughter
at mortality itself, did we know it?
we skid figure eights in the sand
and celebrate our invincibility.
The Sleeping Mexican
Valium and Johnnie Walker
his fervid friends
turned against him in the end
had to suffer for his art
black moods, red paint
passionate Odysseus
and when it was good
he owned the world
reigned supreme, euphoric
author, artist, poet, thief
then white coats said
change his meds
and the angst turned inward
eating his guts like a canker
you'll miss me when I'm gone
he used to sigh. Soothsayer?
now his dust lies in a box
under a sleeping mexican
he died listening for the
price of tomatoes
fade out, stage left
God Bless
Greek Afternoon
Jim Thorpe - Abstract Artist.
22 July 1943 - 16 November 2006.
Titirangi artist, Jim Thorpe painted for most of his adult life. With pieces on display around the world, from Spain to New York, to NZ. Jim received critical acclaim for his bold abstract style influenced by the Russian artist Mark Rothko.
