AWARD winning Medowie bush poet Ms Wendy Seddon is preparing to perform in Merriwa’s Festival Of The Fleeces held over the June long weekend.
Ms Seddon, a published writer, having been included in national anthologies of award winning poetry and The Australian Times Poetry magazine, spoke with News Of The Area.
Amongst other awards, Ms Seddon was Highly Commended in the 2017 Blackened Billy Bush Poetry held during Tamworth’s Country Music Awards, second prize in the Bush Poetry Association’s Competition, first prize for writing for kids in the CJ Dennis Poetry Competition, and second prize at the Henry Lawson Festival for a poem called Henry that addresses the master poet’s depression.
Ms Seddon entered her first poetry competition in 2001 and told News Of The Area “Sometimes I’ve just for to get words out of my head, onto paper.”
“I love words and I love to play with words.”
“They can be really emotive and getting the right word can be a challenge sometimes, but when you get it, it’s a eureka moment.”
Ms Seddon added, “Sometimes I have an opinion I want to express and it can be less confronting to write those on paper, rather than speak them.”
At the upcoming Merriwa Festival Of The Fleeces, Ms Seddon will perform, “A poem about memories of my grandmother.”
Called I Mend And I Make Do, Ms Seddon said, “The poem mimics the rhythm of the sewing machine.”
Ms Seddon says there is a lack of poetry comradery in the area, saying, “The problem I have at the moment is that there is no poetry in the area.”
“It would be good to have people around who enjoy writing too, it doesn’t even have to be poetry.”
Ms Seddon says there are misconceptions about this form of writing.
“Bush poetry is not just about dogs pining on their dead master’s grave, it’s not all 18th and 19th century stuff, or depressing and gloomy, it’s also entertaining.”
For writers interested in meeting up, go to Ms Seddon’s writing page: https://www.facebook.com/wenderhymeriter/ to make contact.
I Mend And I Make Do (first three stanzas)
The children are down and the dishes are done
and the milk can is out on the porch.
My old Singer treadle is pushing along
by the light of a Hurricane torch.
Ticketer, ticketer, ticketer, ticketer.
The stitching’s not fancy but even and strong,
so together we mend and make do.
The sheet with a tea is a pillowcase now
and a bath towel is up for review.
Ticketer, ticketer, ticketer, ticketer.
From best dress to house dress then cut down for bub,
to be made into rompers and drawers.
The end of the line’s when it’s tied to a mop
to apply wax and polish to floors.
Ticketer, ticketer, ticketer, ticketer.
By Heather SHARP