Summer rain

Summer rain

Dropped flowers 

In the paddocks

Changed the dam 

Muddy waters

Into a black scrying 

Magic mirror

Wonders to be seen

But for the hordes 

Of ravenous mozzies!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Aquarium of death

After living numerous years

In an ocean pool

They have been caught

Three magnificent crabs 

They found themselves

In a tank making the front window

Of a famous restaurant

Passing tourists take photos

Admiring them

Bored in this tank

Regretting the sunny beaches

The wind crashing down 

Coconuts on which to gorge

Admiration is nice 

There is a way out

They wish to be next

When the fishnet comes

To collect one of them

They dream of freedom

Swift death will be delivered.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Taking-off

Waiting on the Tarmac for lift-off

Screaming child thankfully quiet

I'm certainly grateful for it

Flight slightly delayed

Waiting to get the go ahead

From Control tower

Seeing the Virgin plane take off

Then the Jetstar one turning on

The main runway

It is always beautiful to see a plane 

Taking to air

The rain starts pelting the windows

Slowly we are taxing into position

The acceleration pushes us 

Down into our seats

We are in the air

Reaching to the clouds

Pushing through them

Bursting into the sunny world above

Forgetting worries left below

Mind free to roam in the azure light

Trolley filling the aisle

Neighbour on my left sleeping 

Happy dreams hopefully

Plane has levelled 

Business as usual. 

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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An evening at the ballet

Alice, what a trip

We had following you 

Down the rabbit hole

I never blinked

During the first act

Too afraid to lose

Some action on stage

Such brio, such talent

You held us in suspense

The duchess scene

Had us shivering for sure

Meeting the Cheshire Cat

Added to our bewilderment 

Blew my mind really

Reality became a moot point

To be discussed around

At the phrenetic tap-tapping tea party

Your meeting with the caterpillar

Was as welcomed a relief for us

As for you if not to your balance

Eating that piece a of mushroom

Might not have been your best decision

The flower garden magic

Brought back to you the knave

With the white rabbit and the queen

In a hot pursuit on wheels

What a delight she turned out to be

The tyrannical red queen

In the excesses of her court

To dance with her 

Could bring swift death 

As a walk in her gardens

Or a simple game of croquet

Power corrupts here 

As well as in our world

Justice fails, mayhem follows

The house of cards collapses

The hold of Illusion fades 

We are brought back

To deal with our reality

With the means at our disposition.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Traveling woes

Oh the joys of modern day traveling

There I was, a nice old lady,

White hair and bespectacled,

A bit confused as to which terminal

I was to check in for my flight

When a security gate popped up

In front of me

Dutifully I put my bags in the trays 

With my bracelets 

Passed through the gate

I started to collect my luggage

When a uniformed lady signalled to me

That she was going to open my bags 

Testing for explosives! 

Sure, why not? be my guest

When that was done with a negative result

To my great pleasure 

She insisted to scan my body

For traces of explosives.

When I asked her to repeat herself

She picked up on my accent, of course

I was so out of it, wondering how

I could have explosive traces on me

How does one know if one has or not?

As soon as one is in a public environment

One has no certitude whatsoever 

I was a bit vague answering her

She must have thought 

I was a person of interest

Unhappily for her, I was not

She left me for another potential prey

And I continued on my search for the right terminal.

I'm dreaming of a high-speed train 

Between Melbourne and Sydney

Which would put a stop 

To that complete nonsense

Of harassing the wrong persons

Nice dream, but only a dream.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved 

Bittersweet moment

Setting up the Christmas tree is 

As a sweet task as any

With baroque music in the background 

Lemony mint ginger tea to sip as I go 

Trying to stop cat and dog 

Playing with the decorations 

Full time job, that one!

Getting each ornament and reminiscing 

When did we acquire it?

Who gave it to us?

What year was it that we made it?

For memories of people

First of all missing my favourite helper

All grown up and making hers now

That is bittersweet in itself

But more to the point

Missing all the loved ones 

Death took away

The friends that moved away

Wherever you are now

I dedicate my Christmas tree!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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From the garden

From the garden

Gathered snow peas

Spring carrots and coriander

Stir fry them, serve them

This was lunch in the making

Collected some strawberries

And red currants

Sprinkled with sugar and fresh mint

So fresh, so simple

This was dessert in the making

Thus the seasons pass us

Revealing each day 

New pleasures and delights.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

A friend

Bored he was, 

With the weekly routine:

Getting dressed in his best suit

Being polite and respectful 

Slowly walking behind his elders

Deep in contemplation 

To the holy shrine

Forced to keep silent 

On the straight path

Like everyone else head hung low

With eyes lowered to the ground

Excluding the world around

When the sun shone, 

And the wind sung

Through the trees

The sudden sight of the pigeon

Gave birth to a winning smile

Lighting his face

He recognised it

He pointed to it

A heavy hand settled on his shoulder 

To keep him in line

He didn't mind

He knew he had a friend

Waiting for him.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Stop Kookaburra

Trust is to be won, it seems

The arrival of the dog in the dam

Doesn't disturb the resident wild ducks

Whilst I have only to show myself 

For a flurry flight to follow

Even the Choughs search higher limbs to perch

What have we done ?

The muddy murky waters stay placid

Simply content to ripple under the breeze

Reflecting the seeded clouded blue sky

With swaying shady gumtrees

Showing a distorted upside-down image 

How illusory is reality? Truths or lies,

Which are more comfortable?

Such is our world,

Twisted, corrupted, dying

We've gone above and  beyond 

For in killing trust and love

We're killing ourselves.

Stop ! Kookaburra,

Stop laughing at me!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

What a busy little fellow 

Rolling backward the latest gathered stone

Drowning it in the dam murky waters

Burying it with great diligence 

Piling generous amount of mud on top

Suddenly missing it

Searching for it under water

Digging it with frenzy from its watery grave

Licking it clean with great delight

Comma tail in the air wagging a frenetic tempo

It's time to start the game all over again

What a busy little fellow

Until a sinuous black tiger leach appears

Time to go home and rest

Why, oh why do happy moments have to end?

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Seasons passing

Spring is passing

Hot days are a-coming

Dog is playing

Sticks retrieving

In brown water bathing.

Garden is thirsting

Water we're pumping

Garden is growing

Dam is shrinking

Dusty beaches appearing.

Golden paddock is browning

Summer is coming

Worry is following

Seasons passing.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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He did it again

Sir Perfect did it again

Without notice nor purpose 

He reversed in the same tree

Such action resulting 

In likewise damages

Revenge he called it

In the two occasions 

He had cut down trees 

In the two occasions 

The tree stood there

Reminding him of human frailty 

Call him superstitious 

But he might not get his chainsaw

So swiftly next time.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Birds voices

Once in the forest

Listen to its umpteen voices

The laughing Kookaburra 

Or if you're so inclined 

The lamenting chuffs

The repetitive cuckoo 

Will follow your steps

Or you may prefer

The lashing of the whipping bird

Not to forget the ever present

Warbling of the magpie

You rarely see them

But they are there

Go in peace traveller

As long as you hear them

Beware when silence fills the air.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Cyclamen dreaming

Tell me why

The flowers try to escape?

Dreams of cyclamen

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

Superstition

One day , long ago

On holidays 

A friend we visited

As we came in 

He turned on the stove

Where a saucepan 

With nails in water stood

Then he filled the kettle 

And boiled the water

To make us a cup of tea 

We thought nothing of it

Polite we were

Curious we weren't 

After half an hour 

He started to relax

Became our usual jocular friend

Eventually as we were leaving

I made the inquiry 

"Does it stop the nails to rust?"

Nonplussed he answered

"The vibes have been so bad lately,

I'm just trying to identify the source"

That was not the answer

I expected from such a rationalist 

He never read a novel

I gave him a quizzical look

I was so puzzled that he elaborated 

"See if the water in the nail saucepan 

Had started to boil, I would have known 

You were my enemies, it didn't.

You're fine."

I let pass the last comment 

And further asked

"Does it ever?"

"Not so far, but it will!"

Six months later, On our next visit

The saucepan was still on the stove

"It didn't work, did it?"

"It certainly did, believe me"

"So what happened?"

"He had a car accident, he died"

"So why the saucepan ?"

"I might have more than one fiend"

Answered my wizardry friend.

Call it superstition it you will

We cut the friendship.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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I thought

I thought they were my friends

I was wrong

I was just a distraction

The flavour of the month

I bent over backward to indulge them

Them and their divas' airs

Their condescendence made of entitlement 

They screwed me over

It is over now

They aren't  my concern any longer

Time to close the chapter

Turn the page

Start anew

No regrets 

Good bye and farewell.

Lucette C.Bailliet

All rights reserved

The ravens

Born on the easterly winds 

The lords of the forest

Come to inspect their domain

The ravens keep their noisy bickering

Never ceasing to argue

The guard keeper is silent

Letting us pass without a challenge

For the lords are there

To look after their territory 

They're redoubtable in conspiracy 

Chasing any interloper

Without respite or pity 

Even the chuffs, their cousins

Look suddenly innocent

And give them a wide berth 

They are like the barons of old

Attack all that resist

Loot and pillage 

The forest can't wait to see them go

It all depends in a change of wind.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Maybe tonight

November full moon

So lonely high above

Staring unblinkingly 

Wishing to join

The feeding Roos in the paddocks

The parakeets in their flights

The black crows in their infernal racket

Over bickering territories in the forest

But already her pace quickens

To join the lights of town

Maybe tonight will be the night!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

I knew not why

I knew not why but I missed you

Suddenly it came from nowhere

This hollowness in my being

I wanted to talk with you

To laugh with you

The need to hug you 

Was overpowering 

I cut roses and filled the house

Only this morning I knew why

Thirteen years ago you passed away

And yesterday was the day

Oh mum I miss you so much!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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I do not like

I do not like

This modern world

These continuous news

On line, on tap

One chasing the other

One scandal erasing another

One massacre topping the other

Already I have forgotten 

The name of the perpetrators 

One religious war after another

Destroying  people after people

In the name of a loving God

Are we going mad?

When is this Going to stop?

Putting children behind bars

Won't make humanity progress

Torturing men and women

On the presumption of an idea

Is definitely not the way forward

We are simply regressing

World leaders conduct themselves

Like kids in a courtyard

Play up man-ship one against the other

Not to speak of others morphing into pigs

Gobbling up themselves with profits

While the rest of us are left starving

Leaving us to wonder

How is it going to end?

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Laid among the clouds

A heart waited to be found

Lonely no longer!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Sooo sorry

Sooo Sorry! 

Everything was ready

A mug by my bedside

A pile of books

I picked up one

Started to read

An ill spell came

With the raging wind

I fell asleep

Like the sleeping beauty 

Of an old tale

A wet nose and a wagging tail

Woke me up

There's no excuse

I screwed up so badly

Sooo sorry, 

To have have let you down

Sooo sorry 

To have disappointed you

Sooo sorry 

To have caused you trouble

Sooo sorry

I was so looking forward to it

Sooo sorry 

Please accept my apologies

Sooo sorry 

Will you forgive me?

Sooo sorry

What's to do to redress the situation?

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Bored of being sick

Bored of being sick!

When I get bored of watching

The garden from my bed

I move to the lounge sofa

When I grow bored of watching 

The garden from the sofa

The swinging hammock

Welcomes my rest

When the boredom of watching 

The garden from the hammock hits me

The rocking chair appeals to me

When the boredom of watching 

The garden from the rocking chair

I'm seriously running out of options!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

Got the flu

Head is pounding

 Eyes are teary

Nose is runny 

Throat is burning

Lungs are ablaze

Joints are painful

Body got the chills

Cramps are no fun 

Coughing, sneezing

Dribbling and spluttering 

Tissue box by my side

Swinging slowly in the hammock 

Swallowing pills and mint tea

I take it easy, 

There's no other way

Dog checks on me

Doesn't understand 

Why I don't play

Why there's no walk

I've got the flu.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Me too

It happened so long ago

Was a teenager green under the gills

Really 

He approached me 

Saying it was a check on my shopping 

Would I accompany to the admin section

I followed him

He was well dressed, 

Hitting the thirties 

Took the lift with him

Hid the panel buttons

We went down

Turned towards me

And went for my crotch 

I squeezed his throat

Then poked him in the eyes

The lift door opened 

He was swearing 

"How did I dare do that to him!"

He ran away between the cars

I pushed the button to close the door

Went up to the highest level 

Then went back to ground level

Asked the building caretaker 

If he had seen a guy running

He said yes, I explained

Told me to go to the police

Said he would keep an eye out

For any interloper.

All in all it had not lasted ten minutes.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

I stole your words

I stole your words 

To make them mine

Hoping you won't mind

I stole moments

To make them mine

Hoping you won't mind

Living vicariously 

Some time is necessary 

When life is nothing else

But emptiness .

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

Hay fever

Rapsody in blue 

Blares the crowd into silence

The curtain rises

Projected into the twenties

Instant time travel

Power of the stage

Dysfunctional family

Guests are coming

Frenzy all around

Cringe and fury are but a game

Curtain goes down

First interval

The theatre rests

Second act

The curtain goes up

Guest are but pawns 

To be swapped around

Pushed into roles

Through games played

To dramatise their life

Pushing the romantic

Entanglement element

To the end game 

The diva faints

The curtains falls down

Second interval

The theatre rests

Third act

The curtain goes up

Morning tea is served

Fever is rampant 

Irritation is supreme

The guests in a state of terror

Are creeping out,

Out of sight, out of mind

While the family rages about

In the volutes of rhapsody in blue .

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved 

Silly Victorian weather

The days follow each other

But are so different

Twas but sunny yesterday

We were on the terrace

Cooling down

In the soft mist 

Of the new irrigation 

Enjoying the soft noise

Of the nozzles

Watching the full moon 

Above the gumtrees

Sipping our daily tipple.

Tonight is cloudy and cold

We are inside for our daily ritual

By the fire on the couch

While the storm is raging

One doesn't know anylonger

Which season it is really

Silly Victorian weather.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Barley moon

Barley moon

 Monthly she turns up

Pale, spectral, forlorn 

Ethereal in the twilight 

Almost transparent

Despite her apparent fragility,

She is a solid body 

Dancing across the night sky

The harvest moon

Mirrors the sun light

So much so under her cold glow

Farmers gather their harvest

The paddocks turn golden

With long tree shadows 

Striating the erie silence 

Dawn does try to snuff it out

By displaying a dirty greyness 

All around the exhausted moon

No wonder she is so pale

In the morning glory of a new day.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

Congratulations!

How proud you must be!

What an achievement that was

Democracy at its best

It's voice has been heard

The gun has spoken

The gun has made its mark

Brought end to lives

Was the concert too loud?

Was it disturbing you?

You showed them 

You'll be famous 

As the biggest mass shooter 

Until, until the next irate fool

Will press longer on the trigger

Fame is fickle, but,

What a righteous ire that was!

Caught their attention, didn't it?

One bullet was enough for you

What a shame you didn't use

Your automatic rifle

To die in a spray of bullets

That would have been 

Poetic justice!

All rights reserved

Lucette C. Bailliet 

New times!

Times are changing

New daily ritual

Is in place

Barely awake

It's to check the news

For a destructive  war

Whose only justification 

Is to prop up 

Two useless leaders

What an epoch!

Such sad times!

What happens 

To the victims 

Nobody cares.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Spring winds

Spring winds so far:

Blustery hot one day

Hectoring cold the next

Temperatures follow them

Up and down 

Like driven yo-yos.

Can't sleep with the roaring 

Can't dream with the window rattling

Can't stand the chimney whistling

Enervating  to the point of screaming

Irritating to the point of losing one's mind.

There's no escaping them

If only they could bring rain

Be useful in short, but no !

They dry all moisture around

From the soil, from the plants, from the air,

Break branches loaded with flowers,

Promises of juicy crops .

Oh Spring, where did you find

Those uncouth thugs?

Where are the gentle breezes 

Of yesteryear? 

Whirling winds bringing us discord 

Return to the roaring forties

Where amongst the wild waves

You can work havoc upon

Leave us listening to the paddocks silence

And deep peace of a forgotten continent.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Time fritters away

The wind of time 

Keeps escaping 

You can feel it

Time fritters away

You can't cage it

For it is intangible 

You can't hold it

You may cut it 

In smaller and smaller units

You can't possess it

Time runs out

Consciousness ends

Step into another realm.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Mary

Mary, Mary, Mary

The easterly wind brought you

By the train , it's true

You're no longer young

But I recognised you

Your black boots 

Were properly shiny

Your checkered skirt

Was of the prescribed length

Contrasting nicely 

With your plain black coat

Your purple scarf 

Was the right touch of colour.

Oh Mary, Mary, Mary

You're a true charmer

Strangers do as you bid them

So graciously

No one would dare 

To question why

Or do otherwise

It's such a pleasure

You're such a delight

To be in company with.

Oh Mary, Mary, Mary

You did your duty

Gave help where required

The wind changed

You had to go back

You haven't fooled me

Mary for I know your secret

Have a safe trip Mary Poppins !

Lucette C. Bailliet

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R.I.P.

Another week

Another silenced

She was a dissenter

She shouldn't have been

She's no more

A few bullets

Made sure of that

And the world goes on

Rest In Peace Gauri Lankesh

Her killers will be caught

We all write sanctimonious 

Don't forget

Justice might be true

But she is blind.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Thou shall not teach

Thou shall not teach!

The excuses are piling up

Broken wrist, broken leg, broken foot.

Thou shall not teach!

Weather willing

Tracks and roads are flooded.

Thou shall not teach!

Losing so many friends

We meet at funerals.

Thou shall not teach!

Have to look after childrens' children

Family in hospital.

Thou shall not teach!

Sickness is taking its toll

As winter rolls in.

Thou shall not teach!

They move away

Holidays are calling

Thou shall no teach!

No worries Thou

My students aren't turning up!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

A Train ticket

A train ticket

There she was ready to go

A train ticket in hand

On the eve of a new life

Free from everyone ,

Anonymous really

No longer the daughter of,

Nor the wife of,

Nor the mother of,

At last she was herself

Her dreams would carry her

Wherever they would take her

It didn't matter if they failed her

She was the one in charge

From now on !

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Picture credits : Fiona Mc Donald 

Toxic friend

Some people are toxic

She was needy

She took everything  

You gave her and more

As for her

She would make you pay

And some more.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Still I dare

Writing is ackward

Imagery is poor

Still I dare write poetry!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

On the menu

Winter your menu 

Is short and limited

Frosty crispy mornings

With diamond seeded dew 

Over gardens

Or wet foggy ones

Erasing all but intimate surroundings

Followed by a short succession

Of ackward hours with thin light

And no warmth whatsoever 

Leaving one's heart 

An empty severe chamber 

Void of any echo of your voice

Wandering in the mindless vacuum 

Of ever grinding labyrinthine tasks 

You've done your work

It's time to go!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

The dark island

The dark island

What a bleak place

Rising above black waters

Plundered by high winds

The roaring forties

Even humans didn't dare to tread upon it

Only exhausted Albatros 

Would find some respite 

On their long  flights hauls

But despite all

The place reeks with beauty

Dark elemental beauty, 

Savage and cruel

Dark island I won't forget you.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

The wishing well

The wishing well

With a coin in her hand

She took her place in the queue

What could she wish for?

Health, happiness, money

For whom could she wish for?

Her parents, her lover, her friends

'Twas ridiculous really

This idea of throwing a coin in a well

Somebody would do a nice business 

Out of it she guessed

Touristic trap this 

She shuffled forward 

Arrived at the well

It was her time

Blank was her mind

She threw it anyway

Letting fate decide for her.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Bogged down

It's turning into a fixture 

Slowly sinking in mud

Up to its axle on all four

The four wheel drive

Has been stuck for a month 

In the précise spot 

The council recommended 

To built a house 

A house on stilts, 

It would have to be

In the middle of a swamp

It might be smarter to consider

The striving industry

Of Austria mud bathing

As a viable land development !

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Moments fill one life

As clouds fill the sky

A piercing ray of sun 

Reveals their silver lining

Enough to bring relief

Lightening the mood

Lucette C.Bailliet

All rights reserved

Time passing

High winds keep us inside
On the other side of the bay
Trains passing mark the time
The chugging of the ferry on the waters
Keep up with the hours
While the wavelets lapping the jetty
Shows the seconds
All is moving life is running
Too fast for me now
Still i'm wasting time
Who cares?
I'm enjoying it.


Lucette C. Bailliet
All rights reserved

Wobby haiku 2

Haiku

Waiting his return
Rusty anchor on the warf
Time passes us by

Lucette C. Bailliet
All rights reserved

Wobby acrostics

Winter winds
Over the river
Birds sheltering 
By the bay
You are missed

Lucette C.Bailliet
All rights reserved

Wobby haiku

Ever in motion
The water in the bay
Feel the tidal pull

Lucette C.Bailliet
All rights reserved

The storm caller

Calling for the storm to come to her

Dancing and swaying in its path

The storm raises its ugly head

She muzzles it feeding her inner power

She might unleash it any time 

She could disperse it at will

For such is her strength 

She holds the world on an edge

The choice is hers

Which path to chose

For the storm to follow 

Bringing utter destruction

Fire and brimstone 

Or leaving the world untouched?

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Winter is here

Winter brings death with it

It's heavy frosty fingers

Kill silently the old, the sick,

The vulnerable, the sleeping rough 

Without mercy winter is kind

To snuff out their feeble light.

How dare they breathe the same air?

How dare they share the same space?

They have fallen on their luck

They gather In groups 

In search of safety in numbers

They are an unsightly sight

Disturbing the environment 

For business men and politicians

Keep them moving 

The state knows better

Winter piles up further loss

To freeze and break their hearts

Out of sight, out of mind 

Winter is here

To kill democracy.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

C-Bank

Commonwealth Bank, 

No longer,

It morphed into

Crooks Bank, 

For sure.

Profits before ethics

Look good on paper

Not so good in the laundry

Laundering twenty grand 

In one load of cash

You don't get that kind of service 

Without any trace

In any other bank,

C-Bank can

Such a marketing success.

Created to serve the people

Dedicated to serve the mob now.

It's not enough to admit a fault

To pursue it for years is a Crime

That's what Corruption is all about

Shame on you C-Bank!

Lucette Bailliet

All rights reserved 

Let your ink run

Let your ink run

In the grief, the loss, the dispossession

Of your your own country 

Around the Goulburn River Banks

Let your ink run

Flowing in the grief, the loss, the dispossession

That brought you to the fair banks 

Of the  Goulburn Valley

Let your ink run

With its own colour 

To draw in the grief, the loss, the dispossession 

The battles to survive 

By the banks of the Goulburn Valley.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

The White House

No longer a house

The White House is

But a revolving door

In they run

Out they fly

No wonder it leaks

With such a draft!

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

I've got the itch

I got the itch

It drives me crazy

It's a bitch

I can't focus

I need to write

It's an obsession

I can't sleep 

I got the itch

It drives me crazy

It's a bitch

Words chase each other

Meaningless in a chain

In my restless brain 

A real frenzy

I got the itch

It drives me crazy

It's a bitch

Anything and everything

Starts to fester

If I pause for an instant

I got the itch

It drives me crazy

It's a bitch

Please I beg you

Give me a full stop

Mercy it will be.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Winter 2017

Winter

'Tis my favourite season

To walk  in the forest

Mind free of worrying from

Snakes, falling branches

From shedding gumtrees,

Hot winds feeding wild fires.

'Tis my favourite season

To cozily gather by the fireside

Reading or writing 

Dog in my lap snoring recklessly 

Dreaming of swimming in the dam

Or chasing the ever elusive roo.

'Tis my favourite season

To stand around a roaring bonfire

Sparkling red embers high

Into the night sky

A warm toddy in hand 

Keeping spirits high.

'Tis my favourite season

To stand by the chimney 

Toasting and roasting

Sweet marshmallows 

After a hot filling dinner.

'Tis my favourite season

For so many reasons

Bringing simple pleasures.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Winter can be so cruel

The garden this year

Is suffering under Winter 

It has received such a pounding

Brought by the heavy frosts

This season keeps delivering.

The garden will be pared down

After this severe spell

Gone are bougainvilleas,

Passion fruit, lime tree, aloe Vera 

Orchids and chrysanthemums too.

Winter can be so cruel!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Dance , laugh and be merry

How revolting and putrid 

The stink of death is

Cloying to the point of sickness.

How terrifying is death 

Searching for her next prey

With her glowing black diamond eyes, 

Reflecting all light to its source.

It is as numbing as

The sound of crunching bones 

Accompanying the glutinous sucking of marrow

Followingf on her steps like buzzing blow flies

But as long as the words :" it's time, come with me"

Do not imprint on your mind

Dance, laugh and be merry!

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

But who's Tiffany?

But who's Tiffany?

Those were the words I woke up to

Reverberating in my dreamy head,

Of the dream itself 

I had no clues.

But who's Tiffany? All day long

This refrain came coming back

Racking my mind pitilessly 

But who's Tiffany?

To the point that in the evening

It had become a droning mantra

Overpowering everything else

Twas only in my  opened my diary 

I saw the words:  Monthly meeting 

Prompt: But who's Tiffany? 

That I had my epiphany!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

We want you back

United States of America 

Lafayette didn't fight in vain

For freedom to be abused

It wasn't a mistake to send you

The Statue of Liberty 

To welcome the world refugees 

Something most rotten 

Is eating at your democracy 

We are all watching appalled 

The world is waiting

For you to stop this nonsense 

Before losing all credibility 

Impeach that treacherous being

He and his entourage have to go

The election ought to be declared

Void and null

Mistakes are made

Correction is needed

You survived Watergate

You'll survive Russia gate

We want you back at the table of nations.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

Night game

The moon rises in the sky

The golden disk reigns above

The firmament bows to her

The clouds offer her a short rest

The moon is on the hunt

Looking for an aid

To play the game

The cat wakes up

The night is hers to devour

Shadow is her mantle  

Night her friend

She slinks from tree to tree

Pouncing on any prey 

Blinded by the moon

To be offered to the golden orb.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

In the forest

In the forest

After so many days bushwalking 

The forest magic opens to me

My mind fills its emptiness 

By finding creatures where none exist.

I can see slinking down the trunk

Of an iron bark a critter

When I approach it is only 

A twisting branch.

On the trunk of this tree

A bark lady  waves her arm

Seemingly calling to me. 

The slow growing moth left

Behind an illegible message

Imprinted clearly in the trunk

The question arises : Who can decipher it? 

Not me for sure

For I am a neophyte, 

I still have so much to learn.

Further on a fungus 

Points a clearly defined signal

In the form of an arrow

Who is it for? 

Why would it grow in such a shape

So high on a grey box?

The rain left its own mark

The water trail becomes

The ghost of a man

Spread of on the ground.

A spot of raw sap morphs 

Into an exploding volcano

Of bright colours detonating 

On the greyness of the trunk.

One sees and feels so much 

In the forest not yet tamed by man.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

The making of the crone

Looking at her reflection in the mirror 

She notes without complaisance 

The lines getting deeper

More numerous 

Each passing day more appear

It really is a continuing 

Work in progress 

You'd think her looks 

Would be clearly defined 

This isn't the case

She becomes fuzzier

Heavier in features 

The healthy glow

She was endowed with

A few months ago has left

Leaving behind a dull skin

Her grey hair falls without grace

Limply around her face

Her lips keep peeling

Older and fragile

The mirror doesn't lie

It's only natural 

A question of time 

Before she turns into a crone.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved 

Trump-ery

Such a showman 

The world he entertains 

By his tweets and rants

Everyone wonders

How crasser he'll go 

He beats all expectations 

He shows no shame, no honour

With him there is no fair play

He is such a grabber for attention

Sycophants he adores

While he plays us along

In his shadows circle

Sinister swinish men

Voraciously attacking democracy

In order to feed their greed for more, 

For more now is their motto

Insatiable in their quest

It devours them leaving behind

An overpowering stink 

Of fraudulent shells of humanity

When will it all stop ?

Lucette C.Bailliet

All rights reserved

Perfect Sir was in a rush

To get his daily fix of cafeine

Hopped in a hang-ho way in the car 

Switched on the motor

Got it raving for what's the point 

Of having  a V8 

Under the bonnet 

Reversed frankly into 

The tree standing there

Minding his own business

Good bye bumper and  tail lights

I promise you Sir

The tree didn't move

Not one inch

It stood wherever it  ever stood before

Coffee break didn't appeal anymore

After that adrenaline high

Felt tired and went back to bed

Mumbling he shouldn't have bothered

Hibernation was as good as anything!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Forest walk

No bird to distract me

Following Kangaroo tracks

Dry water creeks

Merge into a network

Of least resistance 

My path crosses 

Some giant gum trees

Fallen by  their own years 

Some lie still on the ground 

But still battle 

To sprout new branches

Fallen but not dead

The forest is the realm of illusion

A root ball morphs into a dead dragon

A twisted branch in a tree 

Morphs into a slinky animal

A gargoyle hides in a stump

An hollow trunk becomes a chapel

All creations of my mind  

Who needs the middle-ages

When a walk in the forest suffices ?

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved 

Twilight walk

The day ends as the sun sets

With a shell coloured sky

A delight of pinks to cream nacre

The birds are already resting

Except for the brown falcon

Gliding silently 

On his last vigil tour 

Looking for a lucky strike

'Tis the hour when mankind feeds

No stinking screaming motor

Dares disturb the peace

Save for the frogs mating chorus 

Rising in the mist of a wintery evening

The last pale rays pierce

Through the black trunks 

Morphing the landscape back

Into the flat setting

Of a Chinese puppet show

From the delicate tinge of a cloud

The sliver of moon swings slowly upwards

Into the incoming twilight 

The homestead lights 

Call a warm 'welcome back'

To which I do not resist

Thus ending this walk.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Foggy morning

Heavy Morning fog

Indistinct grey shadows

The forest is beyond existence

In this reduced world

Emptiness fills perspective 

Distance disappears

Sight is useless

Hearing has to tune in

Silence is mute

Until the crested wood pigeons

Metallic flight tears at its core 

Banning all echo in the waiting moment

Crows caws to signal their position

The galahs are screeching

In the trees canopy

Raising the alarm

The swishing and flapping

Of a heavy flyer is heard overhead

But remains unidentifiable 

Even the wind is absent

Touch takes the relay 

The fog weighs on one's breath

A résille of cold dripping droplets

Attaches itself on every hair

Wetness is paramount 

Time itself is suspended

Fog fills the vacuum .

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Do you have a better one?

Cheery crackling fire in the chimney

Dancing to baroque recorder volutes

Filling the room 

Dog on the carpet snoring softly

Innocent to the world

Muted light 

Quiet winter evening

The world kept at bay

Doesn't dare to intrude

Contentment fills my heart

I've done my part 

Of today's chores

One can't ask more

Enjoy the present moment

Life will take care of the rest

Simple wisdom, you state

Do you have a better one? 

I'm asking you.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

Red socks don't work

Red socks don't work

All sweaty and grumpy

He kept saying

Red socks don't work

Two hours I've been at it

It simply won't start

I tried everything 

I cleaned every bit

I changed the plug

Emptied the tank

Remixed the oil and petrol

Filled the tank anew

Aerated the motor

It simply won't work!

I have to change my socks

Red socks don't work

I'm telling you

Went off stamping his boots

Came back, 

Pushed the throttle ,

Kicked start the chainsaw

It came alive in a screaming purr

Put it back on the ground 

Pulled the bottom of his pants

To show me the navy blue socks

Grinned at me and smugly told me

Red socks don't work!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All right reserved 

Red breasted robin

Red breasted robin 

Shy red breasted robin

Won't you fly to open woodland?

Why do you keep to the deep forest?

You delight us with your red plastron 

Hoping from branch to branch

Leading us away from your nest

Just a small jump further

You show no fear 

Teasing us all the way

To follow your crimson flash

No sudden cry

No jerky movements 

Simple determination 

In jest you dart to the fallen tree

To distract our attention

As soon as we move on

You flit back to her

Sweet red breasted robin 

We never were danger.

Lucette C.Bailliet

All rights reserved 

No longer

No longer will I see

The wintery icy moon

Rising between the gumtrees

They have been felled

To the needs of man

No longer will I see 

The peachy sky at sunset

Filtered by the forest canopy

It has gone in smoke

To the greed of man

No longer will I see

The flight of wild ducks

Over  the dam

They have taken to other skies

Hunted by the cruelty of man

No longer will I SEE!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

He is a billionaire

He is a billionaire 

He wants more 

He sells weapons

Without any care

To foes and friends

Blood does not smell

As long as he profits

People are dying

From his policies

Who cares? Not him

He accuses terrorism 

The planet is in danger

He betrays it

For short term profits

Refuses to invest 

In future technology 

Only interested 

To milk the cash cow

He fills his pockets

With coal dust 

His people are sick

He cuts health care 

To pay for tax cuts 

To his buddies 

He lies and cheats

With no worries 

Creates alternate facts

Where needs to be

Hires and fires

Without batting an eye

To disagree brings insults 

Perceived opposition 

To his interests

Lawsuits follow lawsuits

Only listens to flattery

Basking his inflated ego

To win is the game

Not to wonder

He is only a billionaire .

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Urban tribe

Urban tribe

All friends unite

Meeting tonight

High crisis

Domestic breakdown

Have to face it

The line is crossed

No return 

Trauma ahead

A wake it is

An end of love

A termination of friendship

All hands on deck

Bring your own poison 

Liquid preferably

And some hankies

Sweet and bitter memories

Darker secrets will be shared

No closing time

No personal evasion allowed

Together we cope 

Be there or else

All for one and one for all

We are the urban tribe!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

Calm has returned in the forest

Calm has returned to the forest

No chainsaw screeching

No bikes roaring

No SUVs charging 

Wildly on the tracks

No clouds in the sky

The wintery pale sun

Drowns the trees canopy

In a golden aura

The twittering of the birds

Fills the quietness 

The Roos are gathering 

Before twilight 

Walker forgets the world

And its tintamarre 

Let the beauty around you 

Fill you with wonder

The forest is in peace. 

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

When in the forest

When in the forest

The townies enjoy the day

Riding their bikes

When in the forest

The whinnying from motorbikes

Tears its silence

When in the forest

The scream of their engines

Invades its sanctity

When in the forest

The roar from their motor

Frightens the Roos

When in the forest 

This constant raving

Starts a stampede

When in the forest

The walkers feeling hunted

Take to bushbashing 

When in the forest

Walking away from this ruckus 

Escaping to safety

When in the forest

The townies spoil the week-end

By the scream of their engines.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

My old Deamon

Him I hate

From childhood as deadweight 

Revenge is sweet

Favourite sport bashing

Lazy was I reading

Revenge is sweet

Abused me mentally 

Piling it up daily

Revenge is sweet 

Old age arrived

Alzheimer too

Revenge is sweet

In waiting street

My old Deamon

- [x] Lucette C. Bailliet 

- [x] All rights reserved 

A walk

And there I am

Like a cuckoo clock

Calling the hour

Shouting his name 

To the four winds. 

Without any doubts

He has spotted and followed 

A more adventurous trail

While I was daydreaming .

The empty track 

Stares back at me impassive 

The forest is disquietly silent 

I am the one disturbing 

Its peace today .

I keep calling him

Without any respite

Hoping  it will interrupt 

His frenzied mindless pursuit

And return to me

What are my chances?

The huge forest is inviting 

 Its temptations too numerous

To be counted

When a sudden movement

Of a white ball is detected

It grows by the seconds

Floppy ears and wagging tail

Galloping towards me 

Eyes telling me

"There you are, lady!

I thought I had lost you

For a moment,

One can't trust you

You always wander by yourself

Without any warning. 

Good thing I'm a good tracker!"

I let it pass, I'm happy he is back. 

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved 

A lasting poem

To write a lasting poem

On a piece of bark

What should I choose

To write about?

Love is always a winner

Peace is a strong contender

Humour might be off course

War and military glory 

Aren't to be considered

Death although morbid 

Would fit the bill

Of dust to dust 

In an endless eternity

But sickness won't do

It can get too gory

Youth and beauty 

Are always in favour

Why, of course,

It's obvious when you think about it

It has to be all about Nature !

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

By each passing hour

By each hour passing

The list lengthens :

Kabul, Baghdad, Manchester, Kashmir ...

A new terror attack has taken place

The number of victims increases

Lives have been taken again .

Have you noticed

How red is the blood

Spilled on the pavement?

Can you honestly tell me 

There is a difference in the victims?

It looks all the same to me

No justification whatsoever 

In lives arbitrarily taken.

The shock value is no longer stirred

The weather report is more tangible 

While Blood runs red .

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved 

The fall

They are all baying after you

Fame is so fickle

One day you're elected

You're adored, you're venerated

The world is yours to play with 

But the day of impeachment is near

You're despised, execrated

Even hated by some

You can't do anything right

What have you done to deserve it?

Who knows? 

Love of power, greed and fame at any cost 

Perpetual  fawning from your entourage

Allied to ignorance and blustering

And let's call it for what it is

Lack of sincerity and integrity

On a weak mind drove you 

To many faux pas dispersing the illusion

Of a strong successful leader 

Caring for your people

You just proved to be an empty windbag

Too dangerous for democracy

Your days are counted

You've been too long on the scene!

Lucette C.Bailliet

All rights reserved

The slug

Oh, what is it with you?

If the Mexicans can drink 

Tequila with a worm

Can you tell me what's wrong

With a slug in your beet root juice?

Granted, that it was unplanned

And was still alive,

But you have to admit

You're so fussy. 

All this noise about 

A tiny little slug!

You're never going

To let me forget, are you? 

Just for your education

Two centuries ago

Tuberculosis patients

Would go at dawn in the garden

And feast on freshly picked slugs.

What do you mean, 

You don't have tuberculosis?

Really, there is no way to please you!

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

The forest fights back

Like a town in continual decay

So is the forest

Death and Time its guardians never rest 

Enforcers, judges and executioners,

Ever vigilant, ever righteous 

Death and Decay always present, forever invisible!

Still one can track them, the signs are visible:

Like serpents, dead branches litter the ground.

Curling bark drapes over lower bushes

Falling in long twisted ribbons.

The arches from the spent wattles 

Redefine the undergrowth 

As a derelict camping site.

Some dead trees still stand up

Pared down to their inner chore

By armies of sucking borers 

Living behind them only empty shells.

Others lay flat on the ground helpless 

Slowly decaying into dust,

Death is the first to attend

Followed by its twin companion,

Time is no object here in the forest

There is always plenty of it.

Then there are the trees cut down by

Men driven by their insatiable greed 

Destroying the peace with screeching chainsaws

Hacking relentlessly seedlings 

Or giants that have stood there for centuries

They don't care, some trees once down

Are even left to waste! 

Time and death the eternal gatekeepers

Hover in the limbo between realms of realities.

On the edge of perpetual collapse the forest resists

Somehow finds energy for regrowth 

Swears to never give up, and fights back.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved 

The games we play

I received the following text

On Mothers' Day 

"For a surprise get the Riddle book"

So I went to the bookshelf 

And retrieved the riddle book

Riddle was its tittle

I opened it and found this riddle

" three children there were:

One orphan,

One of seven, 

One only child"

No mention at all of children

Be them orphan, 

One of seven 

Or only child for that matter

So I sent back a "?"

The answer was immediate

Think of characters

Harry Potter was of course 

My immediate thought

Back to the bookshelf 

Which book though

Let's be methodological 

And start at the beginning

Luckily when I flicked the pages

A second riddle fell to the floor

I was hot on the track 

 "If I were the queen of murder

I'd write a book

One with names no longer used

One with animals eaten

One with letters to write 

One with trains to travel

And murder in sport

But hidden in her memoires"

The clue was obvious

Agatha Christie's autobiography 

Was to be found in the bookshelf.

Once located and the book flicked

A third riddle was discovered

" if I were a hobbit

I wouldn't want to find a ring

But if I were..."

Once again I stood in front of the book case

And searched The Hobbit pictorial book

I flicked it, nothing

The case ran cold , I was so sure

I pictured the book and sent it back

That's not the one, find the text one

By the side of The Lord of the ring trilogy

Stood a small novel, The hobbit

Flicked it and a new riddle flew to the floor

" Five sisters they were

All of the same name

One kind, 

one proud, 

one dogmatic, 

one sheep, 

one child in a woman's body"

 That one could only  refer to Pride and Prejudice

Once again I stood in front of the bookcase

Got the book out and flicked it

There stood stuck in the middle of the book

A pink envelop with the words

" to the best mum"!

Lucette Bailliet/ Alexandra Bailliet-Joly 

All rights reserved

Pongo

 Our mighty ferret with his masked avenger's face

Had determination inscribed on each of his bones

He simply couldn't let go, it drove him to frenzy.

Sometimes destructive,

Couldn't pass a basic plastic glove

Without attacking and reducing it to pieces,

Don Quixote and his mill had nothing on him.

He obviously had a revenge wish

On those gloves which led him to be neutered 

Hurting him mentally as well as physically.

He loved indiscriminately every towel cloth

Wet or dry didn't matter, he had to have it

Even my bathrobe was not immune to his endeavours

I would find him attached to the belt 

Trying to pull and pull the robe through 

The tiny opening of the third drawer

Of my daughter's commode

Which he had claimed for residence.

We knew where to find  a missing sock.

When he loved, it was with a passion

He couldn't resist dry dog food,

How many times did we caught him

Trying to drag the food bag , 

Twenty times heavier than he was? 

How he pushed! How he dragged along the bag!

Give him enough time

The bag would have moved half way to the bedroom

The dogs totally ignored him

Just smart enough to move away 

Their food bowl from his reach

He was simply in everything , unstoppable

Until, until he tried rat poison left by our neighbour

And then he was stiff and restful.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Domesticity

So you're moving in

It's a big move

What advice should I give you?

Do things together seems obvious

Even the house chores 

I know he cooks

Does he clean too?

Bleach is the best 

Against mould and scum

Vinegar is good for windows

Salvo is good for silver pieces

Although super glue 

Is excellent for gluing back 

Pieces together again

Took me a life time 

To get it right! 

Lucette C. Bailliet

All right reserved

A four eggs day

You left without your breakfast egg

It turned out to be a four eggs day

It was a bad omen and truly

You got fired that day, never mind 

Someone got a fat bonus to their pay packet!

Until that day, you ignored the losers

We can't all be winners, it's logical, you said

Darwin natural selection!

Guess what, karma is a turning wheel

Your number is up, good luck to you

For you've got three children and a mortgage

You thought you were secure

You find yourself in precarious straights

Join the majority of us mere mortal

Scrounging and fighting for survival

You'll be in good company , do not worry!

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Cup of tea

In the high country where tea is cultivated

The tea pickers are at work

To provide you with that cup of tea

One worker spot is filled without question

After a bomb has exploded

For it is a fact well known

That an exploded bomb does not hit twice

The hard breaking work continue

Unhindered all day long

Women and children are hard at work

The slaves, for what else are they,

Fill basket after basket

Of aromatic leaves

To be dried, packed and sent overseas

For your pleasurable cup of tea

Enjoy your special brew

That five minutes break

After all, it's not your fault

If workers were killed

Half a world away or is it? 

You can't be held responsible 

For every ill in the world

Keep drinking that golden brew

For it feeds families, that's true!

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Even the mighty are falling!

Even the mighty are falling!

As a child I stood in awe of you

You were such an athlete 

You could pick up any sport

And be proficient in a wink

I was clumsy, still am

You didn't understand it

You thought I was lazy

When you found me reading

A lecture and a beating followed

I was terrorised of you

I hated the clock announcing 

Your daily return

I didn't know where to hide

I kept silent, I was rendered dumb

You made my life hellish for five years

Thankfully you divorced my mother

You lived the dream life

You lied and forgot about me

I was not complaining

The years passed

You divorced a second time

Nowadays your mind is going

You need help, it's obvious

But your latest partner 

Has all the attributes of a widow maker 

She'll destroy you 

Good luck to you

Even the mighty are falling!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Do you care?

Do you care?

Are you even there?

When in need of comfort

I go to your tree

To empty out my heavy heart.

Do you care? 

Are you even there?

I know you are still alive 

In my mind and memory

I know I miss most

The laughs and gossips

I should come visit more often your tree, mum

For it's alive and strong 

Surrounded by fragrant wattles

But let's face it, I feel silly

Standing in front of a tree

Talking to your ashes

Do you care?

Are you even there? 

 Lucette C. Bailliet 

All rights reserved

Dolce ombre

Dolce ombre

Tinted sweet shadow

Of past times

Drama of shadow and light

Of the chiaroscuro 

Music and light

Melting into each other 

Making each moment 

Sweeter and precious

Laments and time

Pure meditations 

Easing pain and loss

Wild dances into happiness 

Your shadow reaches to us

Dolce ombre.

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

 

Was it the moon?

Was it the moon

Who disrobed the tree

Its bark laying on the ground

Around the naked trunc?

Was it the moon 

Who let the clouds

Cry so much

The paddocks were flooded ?

Was it the moon 

That turned the billabong 

Waters from black to red

In protest of evil mankind? 

Was it the moon? 

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

As above as below

Onto a night sky

The eye opened 

Large enough

To encompass the world

Galaxies and black holes 

Were just grains of dust 

Thrown away in the unknown

Grandiose maelstrom 

That is the universe

With at its centre 

A continuous implosion

Nurturing it all

As above as below

The humble daisy 

Couldn't hide from

The sky it reflected.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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On the edge of the forest

The edge of the forest

The track meanders slowly

Between private land and  state forest. 

On one side the signs read:

 "Private property, keep out", 

" no trespassing", " no shooting", 

"Warning, trespassers enter at their own risks" . 

 On the other side , they say :

"Collection of fire wood prohibited in this area" ,

 "Illegal wood cutting will be prosecuted" . 

The signs either hang onto the barbed wires 

Or are nailed to tree trunks

Depending on which side they belong.

On one side lay the short grass paddocks

Sparsely inhabited by the parched remains of long dead gumtrees 

Where black Angus try to find a feed. 

Further on a herd of goats and sheep

Are shepherded by two muddy Maremmas

In the absence of human careers.

On the the other side kangaroos and wallabies

Jumping above broken branches and dead wood

 Are bounding  away at the smallest pretence.

The silence of the place is broken

By the infernal whining of chainsaws

And the repetitive shooting explosions

Of townies guns come down for the weekend .

In the early evening

The reeking smoke of gumtree burning

Fills heavily in the air 

When that racket dies down eventually

The maniacal laugh of the Kukaburra 

The "whoo-hoo-hoo" of the owl,

Tears and breaks the silence

Enveloping the forest to sleep.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Autumn is here

Autumn is here

With its servile companions

Lashing rain and freezing fog

The wind is blowing

The gum trees bend and shiver

The wind is howling

The forest groans under its attack

Mushrooms are popping up in a wink 

The crickets look for shelter

In the house, getting  in our way

The frogs stick to the windows

Showing their pale tummy

As the night falls starless

The chimney rambles

The cat brings back mice

To play with them in the warmth

We huddle by the fire side.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Homage to Eugene Ionesco

An English domestic scene

An English salon in the evening

An English man and an English woman

Is it a whodunnit?

The stage is set

Assume they are married

She is darning socks

He is reading the newspaper

She talks, he keeps reading

Is it a whodunnit?

She rattles on the dinner

He keeps reading

She gives us 

Senseless fact after inane fact

She does not make sense

Is it a whodunnit?

In her prattle to fill the silence

Not only gluttony comes forth

Animal behaviour appears

Scatology is mentioned

Aggressiveness towards him

Is present and weighing

Is it a whodunnit?

The clock strikes seventeen strokes

Reason explodes, mind implodes

Come and explore the absurd world

Where language is spoken

But communication is meaningless.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Rainy day

Rainy day

The rain gauge is filled, a record, 

After a night and day of endless rain

The soil is so wet it cannot absorb anymore water

The rain gathers in rivulets running into ditches

Slowly flowing onto the tracks

Yesterday's dry creeks are raging torrents

Fast pouring into the flat paddocks

Ever so slowly turning into shallow billabongs

The paddocks slide, the paddocks glide

The paddocks move down with the flow

Fed by the overrun of the forest

The dam fills quickly

Stretching ever so much

Its own boundaries 

Erasing man made ones

Hiding the anthills 

Redefining the ever spreading landscape

Into a complete deliquescence

Water is surrounding us  

As we cannot escape it

So let's take a walk and enjoy it!

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Mis-appropriation

As I was to write for Invisible Women

I realise that the cross over 

To the lady living in the tree

Was way too early.

I had already baptised her:

" old Nelly" was to be her name

Simple mis-appropriation 

For who was I to name her?

The outing of my two young sisters

For now my family of invisible women

Had indeed accrued by one younger sister,

To the girl and the boy we spoke about

Well that outing over the bridge

The picnic basket the girls carried

While the boy took care of his fishing gear

Was the scene of the adventure

T'was again a mis-appropriation

Who was I to tell where old Nelly was to live?

The discussion between the mother and her sister

Talking about old Nelly was even worse

As they conversed showing  her 

To be the charity case of the community 

Leaving bread, food and necessities 

By her tree to help her survival.

What a case of mis-appropriation .

It got worse when they spoke about old Nelly

How she came to live in her tree

Her parents killed in the fire

Which burnt down her house.

Leaving her , homeless as well as orphaned

What a mis-appropriation . 

Lucette C. Bailliet

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April the cruellest month

You may think April

The cutest month 

For spring bursts every where

But for me April is the cruellest month

On the first Monday of April

I was facing surgery

Eyes to eyes

On the second Monday of April

I was told I needed further surgery

Isn't April the cruellest month ? 

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Incognito

Wherever she is,

She stands out

From the crowd

We all see her.

Her empty opal eyes,

We can search

Only reflect the light.

Her luscious lips

Firmly closed together

Won't answer us

Her mystery haunts her.

Surrounded by dragonflies

Ignoring us,

She stares openly

At the vacant sky

Above our heads

Waiting, loaded word,

So many possibilities.

Incognito she is,

Incognito she stays 

As we walk away.

Lucette  C. Bailliet 

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Topsy-Turvy

If more surgeries are necessary

I better pick up archery

And join the Amazons.

I'll join the Amazons

If more surgeries are necessary

And pick up archery.

I'll pick up archery

If more surgeries are necessary

To join the Amazons. 

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved

Keep walking

Keep walking

Brothers and sisters

Together

We'll walk the earth

Ten thousand steps 

At a time

Don't think about the pain

Only breaking the pain barrier 

Don't think about the rain

Only to refresh you 

Keep walking

Brothers and sisters

Together

We'll walk the earth

Ten thousand steps 

At a time

Don't think about the stones

Hurting your feet

See them as a deep massage

Divine when it stops

Keep walking

Brothers and sisters

Together

We'll walk the earth

Ten thousand steps 

At a time

Don't think about the thirst

Don't think about hunger

Singing and walking 

Will keep them away

Keep walking

Brothers and sisters

Together

We'll walk the earth

Ten thousand steps 

At a time

I'm running out of steps

You can fill in words

Take a turn 

And keep walking

Keep walking

Brothers and sisters

Together

We'll walk the earth

Ten thousand steps 

At a time

At the end there is a gain

Better health is our aim

So keep walking 

Your steps will keep adding

Keep walking

Brothers and sisters

Together

We'll walk the earth

Ten thousand steps 

At a time

Lucette C. Bailliet

All rights reserved 

Moliere II

Corneille, Racine, Musset, Hugo

The list goes on and on

Moliere is only one of them

Down the centuries

He laughed at professors

He ridiculed poets too

His favourite victims 

Were the medics and hypocrites

No one found refuge save lovers,

For comedy  and love knew

Are the mortars of society.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Four seasons seen by a dog

Four seasons

What a delight to sun oneself 

In the first days of spring

Sniffing around for a black wallaby.

Summer has its own rewards

A bath in the dam 

Preceded by a lazy siesta 

All in a day's work as they say.

What a pleasure it is

To walk in a blustery Autumn's day

To run after a lone grey roo

Or an errant hare.

Winter is nothing to fear

By the fireplace snoozing away

Dreaming about catching 

That ever elusive prey.

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Invitation

Invitation 

We would like

To have you

For lunch or dinner

It doesn't matter

A celebration in any words 

Just tell us the date

The table will be set

The food ready

For you to enjoy!

Ps do not forget

To bring each with you

Two pieces of wood

To fit in the fireplace

As winter lunch and dinner

Are better eaten hot!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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Homage to MOLIERE

Moliere

A mountebank actor

Who made it to the court

A once bankrupt director

Who wandered in the country

A histrionic valet

Who stuttered while performing

A consumptive hypochondriac

Who died in a blood bath on the stage

But by god can he make us laugh

No idiosyncrasies whew beyond his notice

Four centuries on

He is as acerbic as he was

Human nature he could decipher

Showing us the twisted inner trails

Behind the mundane hypocrisy!

Lucette C. Bailliet 

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The forest

Like a dog marking

His passage in the forest,

One can follows man's track

By the number of empty cans

Hitting the forest floor.

Illegally cutting wood

Is such a thirsty work,

Best to have a six pack or two

To do the dangerous job.

Don't want the missus 

To know about the pick me up

Added to the tea or coffee thermos

Laying and rolling in the car cabin?

Easy open the car window 

Litter the track nobody will know!

Except , except too many victims

Are making their way

To the social media

Inciting e-activists to sign

Petition after petition

To  restrict access

To the forest.

You wouldn't do it 

On the lounge carpet

So why do you do it 

On the forest floor

You can barely afford a house

These days working all day

The forest is free

It belongs to everyone

And is priceless

Let keep it that way!

Lucette C. Bailliet

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Madan Gandhi Acrostic

Madan Gandhi Acrostic

Mariner of souls 

Amongst the best

Daring to be

An individual

Natural leader.

Generous to a fault

Altruistic in many fields

Never giving up to

Defend the ever battered

Human rights and

Injustice of this base world.

Lucette C. Bailliet

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