2011 - through a cloud brightly

The remnants of 2010 are gently washing away on the tides of this soggy muggy Boxing Day as I attempt to peer through at least some of the clouds covering most of Queensland in the wake of Cyclone Tasha to piece together a cloak of dreams and hopes on which to fly through the brightest of blue-sky new years (wow that's a few metaphors mixed).

Some of the pieces of this cloak are as follows – the actual flying, well that’s another matter:

• My novel "A Dirty Rainbow" has been completed to schedule during travel on the work-bound train these past months. Turns out to be a far bumpier ride for the hero Dirk Vortex. He loses everything - even the Whirlwind decals off his van as he leaves his shattered family, hits the highway on some sort of spiritual journey to patch together a new life, maybe even with his old bandmate Ronkey who's teaching English in Cambodia.The conclusion sees him atop a groyne bashed by wild seas, its red and white lighthouse a well known landmark. It's an ambiguous slightly cosmic ending with angels playing a part and a final appearance by the nymph. Now the novel's completed, version two's been started and is about half way through. When the drafting's over, it's on to a professional editor and finally, let's hope in 2011 on to a publisher.

• My longtime journo mate and former colleague John Rumney (pictured right,worked with on Sunshine Coast Daily in early 80s) has contacted me, asking if I'm interested in working on a joint project proposal to put to the Queensland Poetry Festival organisers. Seems he wants to work around my poem on the Go Between Bridge. Would also work the Kipling poem "If" which he's put to music into the performance. He's got a top jazz drummer and a bassist in mind for the proposed project.Thus inspired I attempted to contact ex Go Between Robert Forster to see if he was interested in being involved (gotta think big) believing he may be in Brisbane. His manager contacted me, said Robert's in Germany but would forward my proposal. Thus singer's involvement is unlikely but John and I will forge on at any rate.
• Other projects - aiming to do more sourcing of material for next project on poems and prose (Go Between will be a centrepiece) around the theme of "place" which I'll be dedicating to Japanese haiku master Basho. Also aiming to do more visits of schools with Kurilpa Poets after this year's success at St Columba's at Caboolture. Then there's the need to get out to markets and sell the "Soul Healing Afoot/Dead Dad Bye" books.

At any rate to anyone who happens to be reading this, may your dreams and goals too come true in 2011. Finally, turning to the words of Milton Berle for guidance: "If the path to success looks closed, build a door."