Back again - still here

Whatever happened to 2025? Looking back over these entries, either I’ve somehow managed to blunder badly with data entry (all too possible) or a whole year passed with no additions to this news and events page. That would imply that nothing happened, which would not be true.

Actually, it was a very busy year. One of the highlights was the publication of that projected volume of my selected poems from the previous fifteen years of writing, that included not just excerpts from my six volumes of collected poems and verse novels, but also a whole new section of individual poems written since 2009. Some of these have never been published before, so going on this trek over the years was a trip down memory lane. While this was only a small publication run as one of the Studio special volumes, it’s had a really pleasing circulation and some quite heart-warming feedback. Definitely a highlight of my writing life.

Apart from that, a year of travel, that included a tourist trip to Japan – a vast distance covered very speedily, but a wonderful impression of a fascinating country – and then a four week tour of the Kimberley. I’ve not travelled before in this north western part of Australia and the time spent between Darwin and Broome opened my eyes to the splendours and wonders of this part of our land. Both of these trips led to great opportunities to write, and two more volumes of my ‘poem a day’ travel records were really challenging and rewarding as attempts to capture what we had seen.

Family time took us to Queensland for an extended stay, and a chance to get to know the two youngest additions to my family – two great-grandsons, Mac and Jack – a re-entry to the world of little children. Another delightful week with son Nick and Janee’s new home on the Queensland coast, with its vast stretches of bleached sands, rolling tea-tree stretches and sun-drenched walks along the beach – it’s a great time to look back on in Adelaide’s cool grey winter.

We repeated that trip a few weeks ago and viewed with pleasure the way those two babies have transformed into energetic active little boys, chasing each other up and down hallways, listening intently to stories and chattering to each other and anyone who would listen. It’s interesting to see the changes a year can bring and we’ll have to keep up this annual tour of both inspection and affection.

But, for writing it’s also been the year of completing the third volume of the Bystanders / Witnesses / and now Onlookers series. Great that so many people have asked for a third volume, and I’m always happy when people come back to me to say that not only were the tales enjoyable in themselves, but also valuable as study guides for groups in churches and classes. This third volume has another set of sixteen characters from the edges of Bible stories, including a few familiar names, like Delilah and Rebekkah, but also characters whom we ignore or overlook - or have never heard of. A brief mention of Jesus’ sister led to a speculative look at what her response might have been to a once-idolised big brother…. This new book will be launched on September 17, and I’m hoping to catch up with many friends, both from former days and more recent times, at the launch.

This is just a brief recap of the year that was. An affirmation that I’m still here. Still writing. And life is still good!