Destiny arrived on a Tuesday,
in a box marked
FRAGILE: REGAL.
I signed for it in my slippers,
holding half a piece of toast.
Inside: a sapphire crown.
No instructions.
Just joy,
heavy and brilliant
as the midwinter sky.
Naturally,
I took it out.
I didn’t wear it—I carried it.
The rain applauded.
Every puddle on the footpath
tried to catch its reflection.
A magpie, professionally suspicious,
followed me for three blocks,
hoping I was a very shiny chip.
At the crossing,
waiting in the drizzle,
I cradled my glittering fate.
A tradie’s ute splashed past.
I didn't flinch.
Instead, I gave the driver a slow,
magnificent, regal wave.
He honked, entirely confused.
I grinned like a fool.
At the bakery,
the woman with the tongs said,
“Special occasion?”
“Apparently,” I said,
carrying destiny in both hands
like a cake too beautiful to cut.
By dusk, even the clouds
had put on their best
sapphire hue.
I still had no kingdom,
no horse,
no useful instructions—
only a sapphire crown in my arms
and the extraordinary feeling
that winter,
at last,
had remembered my name.
All infants babies cries their form comunication;
Babies are the entry level human being vessals;
Cute cuddles, bundles of unaquivle mercies of joy;
5/27/26
Written by James Edward Lee Sr. 2026
When my boys were ten or so
on a fishing trip we did go
In my rough old ute through a city street
Roadworthy standards it probably did not meet
Suddenly behind us a flashing blue light
Bloody cops they always cause a fright
I pull over my two boys are on the floor
these cops approach the drivers door
Thoughts are forming how can I divert their attention
pretend I,m lost they pullout their street map direction
Once again we're on our way
My diversion's worked no traffic fines today
Next day before the sun has risen
catch some fish that is what we envision
Finally rays of sunlight filters through
The creek has dried up, no water is in view
It's rare I see my fifty year old boys today, I wish
Once again together we could go and fish
Footnote: I go back forty years . I wonder do they still make street directories
Maternal grandpa owned a car where boot lid came back and folded down
From underneath our shearing shed he'd bag up lots of sheep manure
Tied to tray on back of car , travel four hundred kilometres back to town
Would pile the poo on his suburban garden
where he grew beetroot lettuce and some corn
to water and weed this vegie patch
he would rise at break of dawn
So thank you grandpa for this mentorship
since those days, I've loaded ute, with many different kinds of poo
There's horses, goats, ducks, donkey, cow, hens and sheep
I'm not much into waste , with compost dunny, to soil, mine adds much richness too
I have many different types of fruit and lots of greens to make a meal
with world events a lack of food, maybe not too long, it could all get real
The online harms act..Is overpreforming currently, ute Rumble and I guess other free expression platforms or channels, will not allow content viewing
From the U K, due to the horrible ofcom
Enforcer unit, of the totalitarian government 'for the time insitu' it may now
Be that poetry soup, shall turn out my only
Channel to gauge world events, anx to interact with world events.' This is a grim and sobering epoch..' A band of ideaoligical dwarfs has hands on control
And command structures, and has chosen
To nose dive the whole country.'
Almost unnasuming I give you Richard Vobes,.' On many
Platforms his 'humanity shows' He's not the slickest.!
As he expores lifes paths, yet despite our tribulations current'
He giving it a blast.! His vibes are bright.' His manner is
Great, respect where its due.' He's seldom irrate' not judge-mental..I don't see that.' more con-fluential..I put; just 'off pat' ? He's down in Worthing, by the soothing sea, this homemade
Hero..Why don't you look and see? He's on 'old you tube'
Mind they moniter him strong..' yet he's all for freedom each
Day and night long.' You can get him on rumble on ute
Too..Why not tune in? And get aquainted.? It could be the
Best thing? you'll do.!
Bulky ute voyeur selects sleek sporty stalion
Driving by, supersedes her oversized sedan
Wide wheel arches have Porche comparison
Voracious engine's enthuse easily enchants
Large car cast dispelled by lacklustre Calais
Original conjur 370Z parked beside boring
Low leg swing exclusive slide in, magic valet
Over revved start stabs adrenalin assuring
Our dear Dara, choice contacted in December
Available last minute to test drive his beast
Black gloss road boss, enlarged 'lungs' terror
Capable crazy bitumen baby, tester pleased
Ultimate Man concurs, the amenable outcome
Keys in her hand a few days after, aura froze
Couldn't imagine huge generosity from anyone
Racing car reap, increase on what she sows
Merry go round roads, another showoff slotted
Silver pole stabilised glides in Surfers cycle
Crosslane carousel onlookers, briefly besotted
By hot hoof nimble Nissan race horse style
28th March
Too Great of a Man
Down under in Oz, over here,
There is no football, my dears,
This is a tale so drear,
A footy champion, once held dear,
He died of no football, no cheers,
We buried him at the ground, so austere,
His tumulus amounded each year,
We'd drive by, pouring a libation of beer,
The tumbleweeds blew,
Grass long and shaggy grew,
At the bar, no bevvies or beer,
The bar fridge empty, also austere,
The BBQ so cold and so drear,
His ute rusted away, so near,
We'd pass by, pouring libations of beer,
Sad, to die of no football, my dears,
A tale from Oz, somewhere over here,
F...it, on the other side of Covid, we'll all have a beer........
AUSSIE OUTBACK CHRISTMAS
Comin' 'ome in an aussie sleigh,
ol' tractor ute with a rusty tray,
with a big branch of Gum, it be
the Christmas tree .
hard to find 'em white ant free.
Nailed it to a webbed dusty wall,
usin' my boot as a hamma
watching all the spiders fall,
decorated with koala, snake an' goanna
.
Com' Christmas morn here in Whatabugga,
dis summa heat could cook a burra.
Da' ol' bath tub, empty with prezzies gorrrn,
taken outside to cook magpie 'n' corn,
while some have fun on the dusty lawn.
Some prezzies still on dah floor,
Beaut!, new hinges for the dunny door.
Mum is smilin' even more,
a rackit, for flies 'n mozzies galore,
near the size of a dinosaur.
Tis Christmas in dah' auzzie west,
with heat 'n' flies to enjoy the fest.
Singlet, shorts 'n' thongs,
our very best.
Be our guest,
and enjoy Christmas in the Auzzie west.
Perched within the fair La Plata
just beneath the great San Juans
basking in the starlit rapture
as the dusk approaches dawn
Lies the point of inspiration
where lost souls have found their way
each unto the revelation
offered there in Rafter J.
Abandoned by the Anasazi
tamed by Ute and Navajo
across the river Animas
between the rock and blinding snow
Lies a spiritual awakening,
visions of the ancient ways,
a timeless wisdom rising, breaking
through the beams in Rafter J.
A refuge in the course uncharted
a tower of hope where love redeems
to bring us back to where we started
in our youth and with our dreams
To find our peace there in the mountains,
find the God to whom we pray,
to find new life there in the fountains
springing forth from Rafter J.
Powerful, solid, ready to work,
My reliant embodied in steel,
With her tray reinforced to carry a load,
My battle hard automobile,
She doggedly moved tonnes of gravel,
Repeatedly throughout the work day,
Out to the farm to fill all the gullies,
Running along the driveway,
And groans and moans? Not from this girl,
Not in the wet, freezing cold,
She’s the machine that does every bit of the job,
Obeying whatever she’s told,
She’s my ute, my truck, my trusty and true,
Ready to give me a hand,
Ready to start and do the hard work,
With me, when I work on the land.
In the land of Oz, we're all fair dinkum,
Every bloke, Sheila and Healer too.
By crikey mate, if you get us started,
You'll regret the day I guarantee you.
In bonza days some may call hard yakka,
With an esky chockers and a barbie that blares.
Strewth! I tell you even our bogans are grouse,
Where else can you find platypodes and Koala Bears?
So spend an arvo or two and don't be a bludger,
Smoke a durry and blow the froth off a few.
You'll be saying "Man, that was a bloody ripper",
So get off your dunny and tell a furphy or two!
If you're thinkin' of comin' over, but not too sure,
Just have a go, ya mug, you may just find.
The best place to go walkabout and make new friends,
But don't be a goose and leave your goon bag behind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We're as Aussie as "You Beaut",
We're as Aussie as the Holden ute.
We're as Aussie as a kangaroo,
We're as Aussie as we're "True Blue".
C-ute cats in your home
M-ake you laugh out loud each day,
H-aving funny moves.
Topic: Birthday of Christopher M. Hernandez (March 11)
Form: Acrostic Haiku
All dressed in matching shirts, belt buckles and ties,
The big black boots made from leather,
And their pride and joy, sitting upon their head,
With the biggest brim, leather strap and a feather.
There’s headers and tractors, sprayers and drills,
Harvesters, loaders, and ploughs,
And the thousands of farmers, from this region,
All walk around and casually browse,
This new equipment for barley, sugar, or wheat
For fields of canola or fruit,
And a special buy is the new dog box, that simply sits,
Right on the back of their ute.
This is the site where farmers meet once a year,
Wheeling and dealing a rural parlay,
The hundred hectare paddock, transformed into,
The Henty Farm Machinery Field day.
There's an old timber, farm gate at the end of a track.
You wouldn't see it driving past unless you looked back.
It's made of roughly hewn wood more than a lifetime ago,
time and weather has worn it down, as the seasons ebb and flow.
A rusty abandoned ute lays near, covered in pine tree nettles.
Where weeds and braken make claim to it as in the earth it forever settles.
Late sunlight filters through the trees, casting shadows through the gate.
Where once cattle on the other side for feed would stand and wait.
Young children used to play on the gate, stand and swing it open wide.
Then climb through the cypress trees for another place to hide.
Atop the rail the magpies perch, warbling away without refrain.
Intently gazing across the fields, the kings of their domain.
The children have all gone now, grown up and moved away.
For many years the gate lay untouched, its frame in disarray.
Who knows? maybe someone will see its worth and fix the old farm gate.
Embed it back into time, for another's memories to recreate.
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