Yah thanks Rett, am loving it already & am almost to the minute when I can post another little write… Wow it’s a good find, this site!

Thanks for your kindness & generosity…

Cheers

Anni May

I wish to walk gracefully….. so as not to spill water.

Ahah…
State of mind or state of being
with heart - with eyes - a state of seeing
feeling into distance travelled
verb & verse & life unravelled
I agree, your sentiment
this space, these hearts, this time well spent
Of all these massive distances
we, gave up our resistances
& as you say we are together
it’s cliche but… “birds of a feather”
& feathered true I find within
these winged souls with words that win
the friendship & the growth implied
the satisfaction here inside

I sigh & thank you Apple man
6 hours away, yet close at hand
for introducing me to this
& now… feel free… to take the piss!!!!

There you go.. how I love this interplay, I feel happy as a kid at a christmas tree!

Anni May

I wish to walk gracefully….. so as not to spill water.

Lovely Ann, how did you make me so fond of you so speedily??

I am sorry, I have been madly trying to catch up on so many things after 4 days away & I have neglected a desire to catch up with you… & now I MUST away to feed my lovely lad who is 12 & still a gorgeous thing… but I will come back & answer this very beautiful little note from you & the one above…

If only I had MANY more hours how I long to spend them deliciously sharing/swapping entwining words with people like you… what a joy xxx Anni

Anni

I wish to walk gracefully….. so as not to spill water.

On your photograph ? Love Ann

Ah Kelsey, what a gorgeous, generous, amazing thing you are… Heh, that’s lovely, it’s early morning here, the rain is steady & so beautiful in our dry burned up little town. I am filled with joy at it’s visitation, sated & fed by some messages I was met with this morning (not on Neo) & here is this little ruby of yours waiting, sparkiling in your candle light.

& you a fellow red head (I didn’t know?)… I have such a soft spot you know, it was such a curse for me most of my life that hair, I love it now & have gathered to me a little tribe of beautiful red headed women of skill & creativity & courage all over the world (via my Myspace music page), don’t know how it happened they seemed to like my music & it became a kind of sweet joke between us, then it became a lovely little phenomena. Great women, mostly song writers & singers or musicians of considerable skill, all red heads, it’s lovely!

I know in truth it matters not the hair colour, that precious hearts are precious hearts no matter the follicles of our hair, but it’s a lovely thing to have a “tribe” where you share a trait (that, for me, was such a challenge as a child) that sets you apart in some ways.

Now you, beautiful vampire girl, you have a way in the world that will set you apart, more maturity & wisdom sometimes than most people twice your age. Sometimes even a great gift can be hard to carry in early years when anything that makes you different, even a wiser attitude, can be a target of your peers. Gather to you the ones that will feed in you courage & integrity, that will not feed on you, but feed you, (I sense in you such an abundance of creativity & intelligence)… I’m sure you do, I’m sure you know that. I am so often inspired by you, in awe of you & I feel honoured to find this lovely offering.

Thanks so much for sharing your fabulous mood, I was feeling pretty good too, listening to the lovely rain & the magpies warbling - they really sing those birds, I think you’d love them - & your message made me feel like a little revelation suddenly gave me more access to the world again, the windows in my heart all opened wider & I breathed deeper & more consciously amid that ruby bright glowing warmth. You are a gift Kelsy, I wonder if you know at all… You can’t know, what you represent to me, I’m just so proud of you (I know that must seem strange, a stranger way across the globe, but it’s true). It’s taken me all of this life, more than twice your own I expect, to do these things you already do with so much conviction & clarity & skill actually. You have a fantastic mind & I am seeing more & more, an incredible wise & generous glowing ruby heart.

Thank you for shining it on me this morning (here).

Anni

“Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.
I will meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about ideas, language, and even the phrase, “each other” doesn’t make any sense.”

Hi beautiful Ann, I know I wrote a response to this before, ages ago, I’m sorry, I think it might have been lost when I didn’t hit submit after the preview.

I loved this little wordy dance you put here, gorgeous description of how you apreciated this bundle of winter performances, I loved your perceptions, these sensual expressions, my beautiful friend, are so precious & you bring the scene so richly to me, would love to hear Ruths Inuit song, & the gorgeous exotic Iranian lullaby, opera & Stevie, what a fantastic mix, delicious! The snow sounds/sights & the lovely blackbird spring song. Yum.

You are yum, Ann of snow & birdsong, Ann of memories & woven imagery, Ann of warmth & generosity, Ann of words dancing lovingly, seductively, richly, Ann of sweet lantern holding, light shedding beauty, Ann of frolicsom, cheek & wonder.

You are a joy. I so love that our lives have touched.

As for hair, I always wanted lovely straight silky hair like yours dear Ann.

& I have to correct the Koala thing, they are actually not bears.. I have a funny story about one I’ll tell you one day.

Much love & admiration to you
x

Anni

“Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.
I will meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about ideas, language, and even the phrase, “each other” doesn’t make any sense.”

Hi Nina, ta for letting me know, I saw your lovely water painting on my way through the multitude of new incoming messages after being away for a few days, I was just making my way to YOUR page to tell you I love it,

I so LONG to see the real thing though it seems to have such evocative textural elements.. mmm but even in 3D it is very moving… ahh water is such a divinely inspiring element… Beautiful painting Nina.. I shall paste this also onto your page where it belongs, then I might even find some new works from you

Anni

“Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.
I will meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about ideas, language, and even the phrase, “each other” doesn’t make any sense.”

Hi Ian, of course I agree, I love this, it is a Rumi translation, & I love it all the more because I am astounded at such phenomenal wisdom coming out of the 1300s. Amazing don’t you think? Rumi was a Sufi, seems like a beautiful aproach I think, they seem to support tolerance & generosity.

I don’t recall any other poet here not understanding it, did I miss something?

I love your story of the children’s field with the daisy chain & buttercups, is “Shuma” a real bear.

Ta for your concern, I am returning to my more normal state of peacefulness thanks Ian, I guess with poetry one tends to express the more extreme ends of the continuum so you see a skewed view that would normally stay more hidden as well, it was a pretty full on beginning to my year, feel like I went through some emotionally gruelling stuff since joining Neo & have been so grateful to Neo for allowing me to express & further develop my writing skills, I never thought this would happen unless I went back to do yet another degree or diploma, which I couldn’t justify.

Thanks Ian , your last line is lovely & I feel honoured, & I agree, for all of us, there is so much generosity here, I always feel so inspired & cheered & a whole lot of other good things from reading works & comments here, yours included. Ta

Anni

“Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.
I will meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about ideas, language, and even the phrase, “each other” doesn’t make any sense.”

Oh Nigel, please forgive me I think you sent this just before I got the first bit of this flu & I have been bouncing ever since, very sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I have enjoyed some of your writes, & shall go in search of more once I complete this message.

Oh YES yes yes yes, “Small dreams of a scorpian” was probably partly responsible for me writing I had it & it went everywhere with me from when I was 9 years old, I remeber taking it to school & reading the one about “when I was small & five, I found a pencil sharpener alive”, & the terrible sad one about the dog they got at christmas that got killed… I also recall my morbid intigue about the depression in “Hope” and the references to his breakdowns… I don’t think we need shelter our children from such things as we do, we need to let them see it happens, but let them know there are ways of avoiding it (my opinion)… but moost of all… my most favourite piece of poetry in all the world is from that book. I forget it’s name, but I think this is it from memory

“If I could write words like leaves on an Autumn forest floor
what a bonfire my letters would make.
If I could speak words of water
you would drown when I said I love you”

I will check it when I get a chance, I’m glad to meet someone else with a similar influence, my parents loved the Goons when I was little, I am so glad of these influences now.

Yes Jonathon Livingston was the only book my father ever read to my sister & I, but it was “Illusions, the adventures of a reluctant messiah that changed my life, I was given that book at about 16, but when I read it at nearly 18 I regretted the interval, I wish it was in all kids school curricullum, it gave me the grounding of my best philosophies of life, WAYYYYY ahaed of it’s time.

Have you seen “I’m your man”? Leonard Cohen with a bunch of (mostly the children of his contemporaries) other musos covering his songs & interviews with him, amazingly moving stuff, you need to watch it with someone you can cry with is my advice! Amazing man!

& Peter Gabriel yes, to me he is the god of abstract use of language, his lyrics often make no real sense at all literally, but one is always left with such potent sensations, from the words & the way he weaves them into his music, the extraordinary passions in his voice & the instrumentation which he chooses so far outside of the accpeted norms, he was such a mover & shaker of his day & still hold such a light of inspiration whatever he does. Indeed exceptional in a totally different way, so deeply imbedded in my life all these influences, completely at he heart of the goodness in me, we are lucky to live in a world with such wise & true beings.

Thanks for sharing that with me

Cheers
xxx~

Anni
~~~
“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world; everyone you meet is your mirror.” ~Ken Keyes, Jr.

Hi bjp, I thank you… & you have my brow furrowed (which then makes me smile when I realise it), I do feel priveleged that you track & contribute to my progress, & merely just to read the lovely way you place your words is a pleasure (I wonder, sometimes, if that has to do with the French language influence, assuming you were brought up in Cnada?), though I am certain that you cultivated it… & with pleasure.

I don’t mind the comments to be public, it may be boring to some, but I have learned well in my life that the trials we go through & do not hide, great or small, can help facilitate a smoother journey for others who may witness or be privvy to it. I know this is true, I have seen it many times within the different communities I have created or been part of, we are knitted together by such things, & often it is these experiences or shared experences (shared even just by being open about them … eg even just the challenge of writing poetry in a different way… ) that create the community, it is the glue, it evokes & perpetuates the empathy, the consideration, the generosity, understanding & compassion required for humans to be good & useful to each other… So maybe you have even more insight now as to why I wear my heart on my sleeve so shamelessly. If my struggles can assist another to experience less pain in their own struggle, then I am happy to be transparent.

I am glad you find me likeable bjp it isn’t something I would take for granted, especially with you… in fact, I hope you don’t mind me saying, I doubt you are very commonly demonstrative, & I feel, as I said, privileged by your consideration. I am also exceptionally proud of myself regarding you, since you can come across as sharp in many senses of the word (hope you don’t take offense, I think you are aware of it, much of it is in a great way, some is just scary if you let it be), I would at earlier times in my life, have probably steered clear, in a kind of desire to stay comfortable. I remember knowing, the moment I first commented on one of your own, that I was now in a new realm of being comfortable with myself, that the value I perceived in making a connection was way worth any possible discomfort if you turned out to be less kind than you have been to me. Your kindness to me has FAR exceded my expectations (I try not to have them, but they are inherent at times) & I find (another new milestone) , that for once in my life I don’t write it off as some other mitigating circumstance, you come & comment because you see worth & or, the efforts I make to progress, that is also something I will not take for granted.. I believe we recognise in each other the desire to get beyond the superficial & to a far greater & deeper thing than kindnesses & compliment. There is merrit in all these things & I value this connection because the other is easy to find here on Neo, we have a very kind & generous community here where we all wish to bring out the best in each other (NOT that i think it worth LESS mind you, just that this deeper delving is not so common & I crave it to some extent).

I have mentioned before, I am loath to critique too harshly here, even though I could (& did when I was teaching & lecturing), something about the public democracy makes me hesitant to do so unless specifically asked. Not eveyone is ready for it… whereas if you sign up for a course with specific outcomes to attain, specific structures & methods to adhere to etc. it is easy to critique with full understanding that is the point, here it is a lot more ambiguous… but having said that I do LOVE it when someone steps in with intelligent feedback on something I write that requires me to stretch my current understanding/experience or even comfort zone… I also love the pfaffy adoration dance that so many of us do in celebration of the better elements of our expressions, I suspect you have less tolerance for that, but I think it is a good thing to encourage the bits that are going right if one can’t quite bring oneself to cut into what we perceive as going “wrong”… Unless I set the criteria, or am in charge of maintaining it, I feel I don’t have a lot of right to judge what is right or wrong, poetry is so very subjective & personal. When I don’t like a poem or the way it is written or even the content I find I am best just avoiding it. I then wonder if I am being a coward, that I might be contributing to someone’s skills if I spoke out, but the few times I have here, I have found it met with a bit of a wall & I have ended up feeling a tad guilty. It’s a fine line & I am not sure I am good at it… You are though, with me at least..

Long winded way of thanking you really ! ~

Anni
~~~
“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world; everyone you meet is your mirror.” ~Ken Keyes, Jr.

Hello! There were welcomes, but another would never go astray… Your amazing words always opened doors dear Steven, in a way that was more than welcome, in a long lost road to paradise way… thank you, you have given me so much here you know xxx~

Anni
~~~
“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world; everyone you meet is your mirror.” ~Ken Keyes, Jr.

Wonderful magical woman, such lovely images & sentiments, sorry I didn’t respond here to this so long ago. a beautiful gift. You always make me feel better dear Ann… You are a woodland wonder, a nymph of ageless gorgeousness & charm & cheer
Thank you

Cheers

Anni~

“Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves”.
Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662)

¿Hola abj, ha estado escribiendo? He estado tan ocupado últimamente por lo que me permito han perdido algo que escribir. ¿Puedo hacer usted mi buddy tan I ¿puede mantener a pista más fácil?

Tenga cuidado y espero a la lectura de usted algunas más

Disfrutar de
Cheers

Anni~

“Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves”.
Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662)

Thanks Ray, though, no offense, but my first reaction was “Poooh” & “God, I hope not” (as in my work being like vegimite on toast)… I’m afraid I’m a Promite girl, or honey, or homemade jam if there’s a choice (chuckle)… not much into the cliche Aussie icons I’m afraid.

Hope you’re enjoying your time here though… have you acquired a taste for Vegemite? Been here long? I should go read your profile instead of asking questions.

Cheers

Anni~

“A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket”. ~Charles Peguy

Don’t know how I missed this, it didn’t show up in my mailbox, & i have been grabbing oh so fleeting visits to Neo… ah but it is lovely, you have such a way with imagery & word weaving that I will always admire… & it’s me, I light insence EVERY day (Nag Champa… creature of habit in a few ways, this is one of my constants).

I smile a lot I am pleased to say, good people & beautiful (often simple) things make me smile… & I am lucky to be blessed with lots of these elements in my life.

Great writers also make me smile… There is one here for you always… Thank for these lovely words… like the sprinkling of little spells….

The dripping of a forgotten tin shed roof after a sunshower in a gentle country field
The swift vision of a bright half moon as the wind carries clouds across it’s glowing face
The ancient sparkle off a creek bed in some barely noticed glade
The lift of thistle down on silent winds to unknown destinies
The absent hum of a child engrossed
The raw & rare eye contact of a stranger somewhere with courage & LIFE embedded & not disguised

Ahhh, but you would describe such things so much more powerfully (especially at the moment… my body/brain has barely energy to write of late)… regardless, these are precious spells such as yours, thank you.

Cheers

Anni~

“A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket”. ~Charles Peguy

Lovely Anushka, how dare you say not very good??? If I were queen I’d have you write 50 lines to set it in your mnd the wondrous writer you are the joy & pleasure you spread around, the care & consideration you heap upon us & how very beloved you are.

But I am no queen unless it is queen of dags! Since that is my preferred title… Like you (I suspect) I’d rather go bare feet among the streams in tattly summer shorts & singlet or gumboots in the swollen winter creek like I used to in the winter as a child, just following the creek from one end of town to the other, an all day absorbing expidition. I’d rather sit among joyous kids absorbed in discoveries & the simple delight of bubbles, butterfies & petal or the flight curve of a skipping stone than sit thorough courtly pomp, stuffy finery & etiquette.

Ah, but bushfires, yes it is 3 degrees celsius today (cc c c cold) & we are already hearing warnings that our area will likely face fires the likes of those in Feb.. it made me shudder & brought back terrible memories… & yet I do feel akin to those wild blazes, I do feel there is some of that within me.

I do adore you Anushka lovely Norway wonder, do you see the araura in your skies? Where did I read your delightful imagery of the clouds being carded from the mountains? Those lines (& so many of yours) make my heart just gush & overflow, in these ways dear Ann, you know me xxx

Cheers

Anni~

“A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket”. ~Charles Peguy

Yes so many letters & Ohhh the anagrams we could make with them if it didn’t reduce me to a state of lethargy I have to struggle with… However I have set myself a challenge now, not today I just had a visitor & had to help cart & deliver a bunny cage … & I left Neo on again!

I am so blessed my lovely Anushka, I have you lot offering strength & courage with your wonderful eloquence, a lovely homemade quiche delivered yesterday by a friend, a cake still warm from the oven dropped off this afternoon, & just now my neighbour knocked on the door with a big slice of traditional Serbian pumpkin pie… so dinner with love & community - yum, I’m off to feast now! my table adorned with hyacinths from the gorgeous Kate surrounded by Rosemary in bloom from my doorstep garden… Simple joys in abundance.

Cheers

Anni~

“A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket”. ~Charles Peguy

Glad you liked Leo, I will have a quick listen to Florence tho my download is so slow at the moment… I do love getting new musical leads though ta.

Forgot to say, yes I do paint & sculpt (as well as dance if I can fit it in… that & the instruments, none of them brilliantly, no star really, certainly not a superstar, do too many things to do anything much really well), but haven’t had/made the time for too many years, think I needed 2 or 3 lives to do all the things I love.

I suspect you might have a few talents & skill up your sleeve yourself?

Have fun Smoly boy

Cheers

Anni~

“Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfilment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart”. Martin Luther

Hi Brian, am slow to catch up here, was wondering if you had disapeared, lovely to find you. I though of your recently on reading Rumi (I hope you understand the respectful connection)… so there you are. I am struggling to write much for a number of reasons, never had that happen in my life.

The pic, heh, I care for 2 little 4 year olds (to give the parents a break & to impart my particular brand of craziness & creativity), children of friends, I am the fairy fun mother, Milla had her instant long hair wig that day & she made me put it on, quite enjoyed it, you can see my real hair peeking beneath if you look.

Cheers

Anni~

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body”. ~Elizabeth Stone

Hi Jake, my pleasure & I am sorry, I hope you don’t think I have welcomed you then abandoned you. I have had a great deal going on much of it lovely, but I’m afraid I will have little chance to be around Neo for a while at least… That is difficult, I miss it a lot, & I was hoping to keep an eye on your progress here, I hope it has been good… I must fly now & alass I am unable to spend the time to read more of you at this time… I promise to go search next visit though.

In the meantime, write lots & enjoy.

Cheers

Anni~

“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace”.

H.H. the Dalai Lama

Dearest wild girl, I get snippets of you in my inbox & am tantalised by the lovely interactions between you & Dalton (hope I got that right) beautifully inspiring each other at wonderful depth haunting wondrous mythologies & other joys…

So lovely.

I thank you for visiting me & I have been absent so long I have no idea what you are up to… it is a sleepless night & I should not seek distraction in the cyber world, but I had to write & this is where it drew me afterward.

Take good care of you & the creatures you generously tend… Ah yes tea, n beautiful Japanese ceramic cup, that seem to call respect & peace to the ritual of tea sharing, I have many favourites, but I would choose to share the ones with cobolt dragonflies surrounding the creamy smoothness of the vessel.

I have so little time to come to Neo, please forgive me & enjoy in my absence I enjoy the messages around you that pass through my inbox.

Cheers, freedom & peace

Anni xx

Anni~

“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace”.

H.H. the Dalai Lama

Ohhh yes, must cease chewing on those electric cables methinks!!

Actually I can’t seem to upload pictures properly any more seems to be a permanent glitch for me so I am stuck with the portion of photo the system chooses (I no longer get a larger image & the ability to crop, it just leaps from a doubled up image of the pic I choose to the middle section magnified, hence the electrocuted look, shocking really (ooooh bad pun!).

Gory detail you wont get at this time I’m afraid, but you have seeded me now, I shall ponder a gory version, though it is all pretty jolly for the most part, though that does tend to be how I like to see things wherever possible, I could probably manage a gory version… You are such a source of inspiration (all jokes aside… I mean that, everything I read of you makes me want to go off on wild tangents & get very creative, I love it & that is such a gift, so I feel grateful & apreciative….

Windy there huh, was pretty windy here, it usually is in spring & we are really just getting spring down here, finally some lovely sunny days, it’s glorious… Non gore story is that I have been doing tons of music, working up new repertoir with a few different collaborations & have now finished the opera & choir performances, will be heading into a jazz oriented period with the very talented pianist who was my lecturer when I did my music diploma years back, I have missed the diligence & mastery jazz seems to magnetize more consistently than other genres, you have to really know your way around music to be able to be fluid no matter where the improvisation might take you… I adore it… Is that gory detail enough?

There are challenges too, some big ones, but I am not ready to set them to words so openly yet.

Hope all is well for you & that you have a woolly scarf to ensure that windy place doesn’t perturb you.

Ahh ramble ramble

Much warmth & admiration

Anni

Anni~

“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace”.

H.H. the Dalai Lama

My dearest Annushka lovely comfort that you ALWAYS are, you send such gifts of mind to me always & I have been so occupied I have had to stay away from much of the cyber activity I have come to enjoy, all this lovely interaction. I am ordered by 2 doctors seperately to avoid the electro magnetic output as much as possible, the particular sensitivities of this damned CFS ME silliness, but I am managing to be blessed by the input of such wonderful folk & immerse myself though less completely/often in the goodness of this community, my choirs & several musical projects that are just delightful & the love & care of such good people… I feel like a lotus sometimes (I will explain that another time though!)

Right now I realise I am waffling when I really want to thank you for this lovely post you have left for me… I had to roll my eyes though with humour at the thought of you struggling at all to take a good photograph… you are such an artist my dear soul sister… I adore you so.

How lucky I am, & how happy I am to know you Anushka dream weaver you are.

As for our weather, we are only really just getting spring weather down here & I finished clearing the yard of leaves & branches & bark dropped by those lovely gums etc. in prep for the fire season …, they have predicted strong probability of fires here again as the summer comes on, for now it is divine, it was a long cold winter & the sun has filled us all with joi da vie… Yay.

I do hope you are keeping warm & cosy, & I know you will be always vigilant for the beauty of this lovely earth, I love you all the more for that dear one.

OK I best get moving
Much love & affection to you
Anni

Cheers

Anni~

“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace”.

H.H. the Dalai Lama