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Whaling about,<br />I’m feeling blue -<br />Don’t ruffle my feathers,<br />Life's a beach!

I don’t know what to make of this<br />A whale away beached in the outback.<br />Are they thinking of ship’s of the sands,<br />‘Cause,<br />Well, I always thought <br />that meant camels?<br />And emus<br />Well, they’re on our coat of arms<br />Aren’t they?<br />Do we have to export<br />EVERYTHING Aussie!?!

grey swirls<br />as whale <br />fluke crests<br />the rolling waves <br />of green <br />leafy shrubs<br /><br />all at sea<br />upon dry<br />sand

Were you the sole survivor?<br />Seeking refuge from ocean plunderers<br />did you scale the red-bloodied cliffs of the Bight<br />and reach <br /><br />the Nullarbor Plain . . .?

Cutting costs mean<br />cheaper exports<br />lower fuel bills<br />and fewer wages <br />to pay.<br />A country <br />that shall be nameless<br />requested emus<br />to lessen the carbon imprint<br />so we sent them <br />from Eucla<br />via a whale.<br /><br />http://belka37.blogspot.com

One cold wet day<br />in Eucla<br />I wrote a postcard home<br />"Having a wail of a time"<br /><br />At home<br />they thought I'd made <br />a spelling error.<br />But I, after two days driving in the rain,<br />was disconsolate<br />And the whale?<br />Though unexpected,<br />it did - almost - bring<br />a smile to my face.

Lovely collection, Sally. The sand scribblings sparked a 'serious' side this week - beautiful imagery.

I added a late late one, but agree with Kat, gorgeous images.<br />Claire

Welcome back - online - Sally! <br /><br />I'm enjoying the Verse Off. Good fun to see the different ways people respond - and the similarities!

!!!!! That was fun.

Here's my contribution Sally.<br /><br />Necks bared to watching predators,<br />bask with apparent ambition<br />fearless heads point forward anticipate together<br />reflection<br />synchronised stillness<br />seep into slow dive<br />slide beneath the surface<br />and disappear<br />just in time.

Turtles are interesting<br />Underwater swimming<br />Reptiles with shells<br />Terrapin a terror for pronouncing<br />Look cute swimming in clear water<br />Eating fish and shrimp<br />Sunning themselves

necks craned <br />mute<br />turtles gaze<br />at untapped depths <br />of blue skies

shells on a branch<br />above water<br />sunning

'Hey Charlie,<br />ever wondered<br />why they call this place,<br />Turtle Point?

V is for terrapins<br />Climbing from water into sky<br />The branch their bridge<br />Between realities<br /><br />Sally Odgers (no free versist, as you see!) http://spinningpearls.blogspot.com

on the log<br />looking up<br />where am I?

A reflection<br />seen by others<br />is not as we see

Hi Sally,<br /><br />I haven't forgotten my manners - but have been juggling bits and pieces today. (Fortunately haven't dropped any!) Thanks so much for letting me visit your blog yesterday - and also share in the fun of this verse off. <br /><br />Such versatility coming through...<br /><br />Kat

Seamless <br />Sewn with invisible stitches<br />Earth and sky<br />No entry point and nowhere<br />To exit<br />We sit<br />In a line<br />Biding our time till<br />Something opens up<br />And something else<br />Will merge….

Exposing our necks,<br />content to be still<br />dark marks hung<br />between mirrors of blue.<br />Waiting to fully<br />absorb the heat of<br />stillness;<br />nothing more.<br />But you see double;<br />see an arrow,<br />see hope or fear or<br />victory.<br />We are just<br />turtles on a log.<br /><br />-Andromeda Jazmon<br /><A HREF="awrungsponge.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow">A Wrungs

Turtles totter on the log<br />step-by-step <br />two-by-two<br />Splash!

(That silly coded thing in our previous post was because of the 'and' sign... Must have confused it. It should just read 'Fletcher and Kathryn Apel'.)

Sally, didn't we used to be in a critique group together? Congrats to you - I'm so excited to read your book!!<br /><br />Here is my entry:<br /><br />Where you go,<br />I follow.<br />For without you,<br />water is just water<br />and a branch is just a branch.<br />But when I'm with you,<br />we swim in a sea of love<br />and rest on a path of understanding.

Looks like I'm your first guest. Yay! More champagne for me. Cheers! I must say the canapes are delish. Thank you. Now, why am I here? Oh - the BOOK! That's right. HUGE CONGRATULATIONS, SALLY. I am so very thrilled for you. Pearl is a beautiful book baby and I hope she does very well for you. XXX Now, where's that champagne - my glass is empty already. How did that happen?

Your glass CAN't be empty, my darling Sue. This is cyber-bubbles. It doens't run out. Maybe you are drinking faster than I can refill. Thank you so much for dropping in - and for being part of my writing journey.

And a BIG, SUPER-DUPER CONGRATULATIONS from me too, Sally!!. Happy birthing day to the good ship Pearl and all who sail in her. :) XX

Never ending champagne? I'll be back. <br /><br />It's a wonderful book. I read it to my youngest (8) last night and he has had no exeperience with older people passing away so it was a real eye opener for me as a parent to gain some insight into what he knew and felt - and also to lay a little groundwork for the future. <br /><br />As a parent - thanks for opening up those important but

thanks Sheryl and Sandy.It's so wonderful to share with fellow writers, and even more lovely to hear that you read it to your son.

Rockin' party mum! What is a canape?<br /><br />Well done on releasing Pearl!! :D<br />I read it and it is awesome. Sounds like you have heaps planned<br /><br />(Ps. I bet i was totally the first one to read this. I just didn't want to post at four in the morning because that would have given away the fact that i was reading your blog at four in the morning)

Congratualtions, Sally. Your book sounds perfect for a little nine year old in my life. I'm off to Fishpond now!

Woohoo! Wonderfully exciting day and month for you Sally. Enjoy! I am sure we all will - a Party AND a Pearl - how could we not?!<br /><br />Huge congrats!<br /><br />Kat

Congratulations Sally. Keep the champagne flowing!<br /><br />I'm looking forward to seeing Pearl in the flesh.<br />Love the cover.<br /><br />Liz Flaherty

Congratulations Sally,<br /><br />Glad to hear that the cyber bubbles won't run out - so you'll be able to keep celebrating ALL MONTH!<br /><br />Thanks for sharing Pearl with the world, and for giving us such a beautiful and courageous story.<br /><br />Reading Pearl made me realise that there is poetry in everyone, you just need to know where to find it. <br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />Dee

Sally, How lovely for you that this day actually arrived. It makes me feel like a seven year old waiting for Christmas. And another bonus: You've solved mt Christmas shopping problem. Pearl has been invited to lie under the tree in five households so far.<br />Enjoy your moth of celebration. And can I make one small request? A little orange juice on the side will help me keep my balance. See you

Hi Sally! Am I fashionably late yet? I'm writing from Broome, home of many pearls, to say Hooray for you and a very happy Pearl day. What a beautiful book. I can't wait to get my hands on my very own copy.<br /><br />Virtual champagne to you and Pearl from this lovely corner of the world!

Yay for you and yay for Pearl! Congratulations on the release of your Pearl of a book. Oh that sounds corny, it must be all the cyber bubbles, hic...

Thanks so mcuhf or dropping in and joining me for the cyber bubbles everyone. It is now past wine o'clock in my part of the world so I am sipping on the real stuff. Am so happy to have people celebrating with me :)

Happy birthday Pearl and Mum! :)Big congrats on your new book!! I love verse novels so much and look forward to checking this one out!!

I'm visiting from Poetry Friday. Congratulations! The cover is gorgeous, and this sounds like a wonderful, poignant book.

Congratulations Sally - I know I'm late, but i'm guessing the party is still going? I'm only late 'cos I've been trying to finish the book I'm currently reading so I can start yours. I found it in the local bookstore today (of course, they hadn't realised the importance of the book and had it nestled with other spine out books... but I fixed that!)<br />Now, where's the food table?

Congratulations, Sally. Off to read more. A book I'd love to have in our library.

Sally, congratulations - so glad I could stop by for a flute of cyber bubbly and to toast the release of "Pearl Versus The World!" The review is great, and I look forward to reading your book!<br />Namaste,<br />Lee

Sally, congratulations - so glad I could stop by for a flute of cyber bubbly and to toast the release of "Pearl Versus The World!" The review is great, and I look forward to reading your book!<br />Namaste,<br />Lee

Finally found my way in! Congratulations to you, Pearl and the Verses...<br /><br />Sally O

Big Congratulations, Sally! I saw your post on poetry Friday and was thrilled to hear the news! It couldn't happen to a nicer person!

Happy Release Day, Sally! Your book sounds lovely (the cover is exquisite), I am looking forward to reading it. Enjoy your exciting day and a wonderful birthday to your Mum as well!

Happy Birthday to your mom! :)<br />And a big, big congratulations on the launching of your new book! *throws confetti*

Again, thank you so much for all your wonderful comments, and just for dropping in and joining in the fun. I have alovely warm glow that is nothing to do with the cyber bubbles and everythign to do with knowing people are smiling with me.<br />Thank you.

Okay, there's always one guest who turns up on the wrong day. Yes I knew it was yesterday, I even called in and 'whoohoooed' at the screen, but didn't quite get to the commenting thingo (or the cyberbubbles). <br />But just in case you have second day blues...Congratulations on the release of Pearl. I'm looking forward to reading it (still haven't received my review copy)<br />Enjoy the roller

Thank you Sally. A wonderful birthday gift --though it made me a bit teary.<br />Tried my hand at blank verse --just for you.<br /><br />Four year old<br />chattering<br />scribbling notes<br />behind me as I work.<br /><br />Schoolgirl<br />happy, singing<br />head full of stories<br />skipping across the road to school.<br /><br />Mother with<br />children on knee.<br />reading, storytelling<br

Awwww, thanks Mummy. That's lovely. A poem for me! Now I'm all teary.<br /><br />And thanks for coming, too, Claire. Plenty of cyber bubbly still on offer.

Congratulations sister - I could not find my way in from work yesterday but had some virtual bubbles anyway - the only kind that can legitimately be imbibed at a public service desk. You are an inspiration to your eldest sister. Looking forward to reading Pearl. xxx

I'm a very proud big sister too!! I read it yesterday afternoon - I think I beat you Emily!!! Francis read it last night and finished with tears, he loved it too. <br /><br />Can I add - as a Lecturer in Children's Literature that this book really is exceptional!! It will make into at least two of my tutes next time round - one for the story itself and the other for Poetry - I think every

I'm a very proud big sister too!! I read it yesterday afternoon - I think I beat you Emily!!! Francis read it last night and finished with tears, he loved it too. <br /><br />Can I add - as a Lecturer in Children's Literature that this book really is exceptional!! It will make into at least two of my tutes next time round - one for the story itself and the other for Poetry - I think every

I'm a very proud big sister too!! I read it yesterday afternoon - I think I beat you Emily!!! Francis read it last night and finished with tears, he loved it too. <br /><br />Can I add - as a Lecturer in Children's Literature that this book really is exceptional!! It will make into at least two of my tutes next time round - one for the story itself and the other for Poetry - I think every

thank you big sisters both for your lovely comments. <br /><br />I'm afraid though, helen, taht youd didn't ebat EMily -s he was prvileged enough to read it in draft and again when I got my first copy. <br /><br />SO glad that Dymocks has it in stock (and that you made them unpack it!)

Congratulations Sally! Pearl looks like a terrific book. I look forward to all the activities on your blog!

Congratulations! I am looking forward to your partying all through the month of May!