Author: Wan Kerr

 

After waiting five weeks for their Disability Parking Permit to arrive, an astute reader noticed with dismay that its expiry date had already passed – 28 February 2014!

The Queensland Department of Transport, which administers the national scheme in this state, cannot find any evidence of the rogue permits, and advises readers affected by the apparent system glitch somewhere at the Qld Department of Motor Transport, its Federal counterpart or a supplier to let them know.

Well, you kind of have to, otherwise you’ll get parking fines all year.

A Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman told Westender, “Any permit issues should be reported to the department on 13 23 80 so we can investigate and replace them if necessary.”

Imagine poetry being proclaimed the length and breadth of the Kurilpa Peninsula, with every nook and cranny of the region ringing to the rhythm and meter of verse. That’s what the Westender is planning for World Poetry Day, Friday 21st March.

Poetry in the workplace, in the home, in the schools, in clubs and pubs, cafés and restaurants, coffee shops and public transport. A plethora of poets, perchance?

We’re inviting everyone from local businesses, organisations and households to pick up a book of verse and read a poem out loud some time during the day.

Local poetry collective Kurilpa Poets will carry their metaphorical soap boxes to various public venues in the neighbourhood to unleash original verse on unsuspecting passers by.

The day will culminate in a Poetry Extravaganza at the Boundary Hotel, where poets from near and far will compete for the inaugural Westender World Poetry Day Prize, with local businesses supplying the prizes.

Local businesses have sponsored the poets with prizes for Friday night’s performance and funds to pay for their time on Friday afternoon. The businesses include Bent Books, Terry White Pharmacy, Avid Reader, Lock and Load, the Loft, Archive and the Boundary Hotel. Other businesses are still planning to join the fun.

If you want to come and support your local bards get along to the Boundary after 6 on Friday 21 March. Check out the details of the event on Facebook and EventBrite.

Souths Logan Magpies will play their first game of the footy season at home in Davies Park on Sunday 16 March against the Burleigh Bears.

Southern Suburbs Rugby League Club CEO, Jim McClelland is giving away free tickets to this Sunday’s match to any Westender readers who want them.

“It’ll be a great day, first home game of the year, and we would love to see as many West Enders down here as we can. As a boy growing up in West End, I could not wait for Sunday to come along, as did all my class mates at West End State School. West End was the Magpies,” he said.

The tickets are available from Terry White (was JP Davies) Pharmacy on Vulture and Boundary, Micah Projects, the Boundary Hotel and the Archive bar.

The main match kicks off at 2 pm on Sunday 16th with a Colts game at from 10.30am.

Mr McLelland is inviting you to “Come and discover all the joy and excitement of grass roots Rugby League, when the Mighty Magpies kick off the 2014 Intrust Super Cup campaign, taking on the Burleigh Bears in their first home game of the season, at Davies Park in West End – the home of THE MAGPIES and Rugby League in the inner Southside of Brisbane since 1909.”

Bring a rug, pack a picnic, and let the kids kick a footy around in a safe and friendly environment that The Intrust Super Cup offers.

The club features a fully licensed bar and snacks and other refreshments are available.

McLelland explained that this year’s cup build toward a national competition.

“In 2014 the game has introduced a National Championship, played in two conferences, QLD and NSW. So [we have] the opportunity to play on the national stage in a curtain-raiser to the NRL Grand Final if we happen to win the Queensland Cup Final. Could it be the year of the Magpie?”

http://southsloganmagpies.com.au/ssrl/

Caption: Souths Rugby League Club has a long and proud history

 

More than 100,000 Australians will hold or attend a record number of events around the country next Thursday (20 March) to remind politicians of their commitment to close the gap on health inequality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Community groups, health services, businesses, schools, universities, government offices and individuals around Australia are registering online to hold a Close the Gap event in homes, workplaces, schools and communities.

Oxfam Australia’s Indigenous Rights Policy Advisor Andrew Meehan said registered events had now hit a record 1060; this showed an undeniable groundswell of support from everyday Australians expecting governments to keep their promise to invest in Indigenous health.

“Just as parliamentarians on all sides put aside their differences and came together last month in Canberra, next Thursday Australians will come together as one in support of ending the disgrace that sees Indigenous people die up to 17 years earlier than their non-Indigenous counterparts,” Mr Meehan said.

He said the diverse range of events ranged from a school in Nowra creating a mural wall and running a photobooth for students to record their hopes for closing the gap, to the NSW Ambulance Service running events at all of their sites throughout the state.

Meanwhile, politicians in WA will create hand prints on a banner outside Parliament House, a public event in Sydney’s Alfred Park will include a bush tucker picnic, music and speakers, and Aboriginal community controlled health services are hosting events throughout the country.

Oxfam is inviting high school students to take part in a Photo Challenge on Instagram from 17 – 21 March for a chance to win prizes including a signed football and poster from Australian of the Year Adam Goodes. “It’s clear that Australians care about this issue and expect our leaders to act,” Mr Meehan said. “Progress is starting to be made on Indigenous health, as outlined by Prime Minister Tony Abbott last month in his closing the gap speech to Parliament. “The target to halve the gap in child mortality within a decade is on track to be met, and smoking rates amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are going down. “But there’s still a long way to go, which is why we need Federal and State Governments to take a coordinated approach and continue funding Indigenous health initiatives in order to build on the progress already made.” Oxfam is part of the Close the Gap campaign, Australia’s biggest public movement for health equality. It is a coalition of Australia’s leading Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and human rights organisations.

National Close the Gap day launched in 2008. Each year has seen it grow even bigger, with 970 events held last year. Go to oxfam.org.au for more information or to register.

 

 

You’re invited to join local community organisation Micah Projects in celebrating Close The Gap Day in Boundary Street, West End, on Thursday 20th March, 2014 between 11 am and 2 pm.

There will be a range of informative and educational material highlighting the gap in life expectancy – and other benchmarks – between Indigenous people and the greater community.

Representatives from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) organisations will be on hand to answer your questions, and a Welcome to Country will be performed by a local Elder.

There will be kids’ activities and a hands-on art project where well-wishers will be invited to express their support visually for Closing the Gap. A petition will also be available for guests and passers by to sign.

Phil Dennis,  indigenous Rugby League player and Captain of Souths RLFC, who recently featured prominently in the Goannas side, will be there.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Close the Gap Day stalwarts Rod Tyson, Jenny Pineapple and Dario Western, and the students of Mt Maria’s College will provide a healthy barbeque.

11am – 2pm
Peoples Park, Boundary Street
WEST END

More info: Gemma Stenner, The Hive Social Inclusion Team 3036 4440

https://www.oxfam.org.au/explore/indigenous-australia/close-the-gap/

 

 

Rev Hellfire of the Kurilpa Poets has adjudged Scott Parsons the winner of the March Bent Books Poetry Prize.

According to the Rev: “Call me old-fashioned, but I like a well constructed poem. It doesn’t have to rhyme of course, but it should show signs of craftsmanship. And I like a poem that tells me a story or works though an idea, rather than gives just a pretty description.

“But I really like a sneaky poem that starts you thinking it’s about one thing, but then it takes you somewhere else, like this month’s winner, SEEKERS SONNET by Scott Parsons. {Ed: It’s also a fine example of that disappearing artform the iamic pentameter]

“Runners up were Paul Sherman’s fine poem Boy cries on the front page (like a grainy B&W photo from TimeLife Magazine in the sixties) and Tony Kneipp’s whimsical This poem is full of butterflies (Where would satire be without the rhyming couplet?)”

Honourable mentions:

Anthony J Longford- more poems but shorter please

I’m a winter person but Lisa Chin’s “Homesick” made me wish I was a mango

Marjorie Lewis-Jones’ “Pain is a Robber”and its chilling personification of pain impressed me

Thanks also for Andrew Coes’ mystic delvings into the Archetype and Debra Stars’ ethereal contributions like windchimes of words.

If you didn’t win or get mentioned this month don’t be disheartened; There were many poems I liked but I can only pick one winner a month and I don’t get enough space to mention everyone. So keep sending your poems in folks. Next month could be your month!

Big thanks to Bent Books and the Westender for supporting the Muse!

Bread, Roses and Poetry!

The Reverend Hellfire

 

SEEKERS SONNET

By Scott Parsons

Somewhere awash in oceans and beyond
Gathers the garbage drifting from our drains
Shifting snug in some smuggled nonchalance
Forming nation in its benign remains

Their vessel is of little consequence
Merely means of moving the problem on
Yet the ending is always tidal, thence
Cleansing the mind of morals, long since gone

Now waste extends to that of the person
Plunging policies see the seekers float
Slogans only make the debris worsen
No use, the refuse when stopping the boat

For when each carriage meets its fatal crash
They are people taken out with the trash