In this Friday’s column, KD writes about his most unusual qualification, and invites Almanackers to comment and/or share theirs.
Almanac Poetry: Bert Watts’s Pies
March 9, 2021 by 12 Comments
His grandfather blamed café owner Bert Watts; his father, a butcher – but what really happened? In this week’s poem, Kevin Densley uncovers the truth.
Almanac Poetry: Bob Craig’s Funeral
March 2, 2021 by 2 Comments
In this Tuesday’s poem, Kevin Densley recalls a small, particularly sad funeral he attended (the real name of the deceased has been changed), many years ago, where a notable local sportsman gave a memorable eulogy.
Retrieving the Footy from the Tree
March 1, 2021 by 3 Comments
Another extract from Damian Balassone’s collection of footy-theme poems, ‘Strange Game in a Strange Land’.
Almanac Music: Romantic Guy
February 26, 2021 by 3 Comments
This week’s Friday offering from Kevin Densley concerns a song he wrote, sung, played and recorded in the bedroom of a Geelong mate about thirty-five years ago. The song itself is included with the story behind it. One mate told KD it reminded him of Paul McCartney, another said John Lennon. Almanac listeners – you be the judge!
Almanac Poetry: ‘Blue Wren’ – Tommy Mallet
February 23, 2021 by 2 Comments
The beauty of a blue wren singing is so perfect, pure and precise to Tommy Mallet’s ears as his poem clearly relates.
Almanac Poetry: ‘Woodcutting’ – Tommy Mallet
February 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Working in the bush can be tough but a change of weather is welcome as Tommy Mallet’s poem ‘Woodcutting’ suggests.
Almanac Poetry: Mister Vernacular
February 16, 2021 by 11 Comments
In this week’s poem, Kevin Densley deals with a range of colourful expressions, many of Australian origin.
The Pig-Headed President
February 14, 2021 by 4 Comments
Hubris reflects downfall in Damian Balassone’s topical poem, ‘The Pig-Headed President’.
Almanac Life: Two blokes walk into a pub (Part 1)
February 12, 2021 by 10 Comments
In comradely spirit, Kevin Densley and Roger Lowrey joined forces to write a two-part piece about their recent lunch at the Petrel Hotel in Geelong West. Here’s Part 1 from Kevin Densley.
Almanac Poetry: ‘Air and Blood’ – Tommy Mallet
February 9, 2021 by Leave a Comment
It’s hard yakka working in the the bush as Tommy Mallet’s poem ‘Air and Blood’ suggests.
Almanac Poetry: Goodbye Georgie
February 9, 2021 by 4 Comments
Legendary footballer, the late George Best, famously said: “I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.” This week’s poem from Kevin Densley is an “In Memoriam” piece about the man fellow Almanacker and World Game expert, Roy Hay, called “the Irish wizard”.
Almanac Poetry: Fake Ned
February 2, 2021 by 4 Comments
Kevin Densley’s poem concerns a photograph which was at one time verified as being of Ned Kelly, but later proved not to be so.
Almanac Poetry: ‘Only Planets Remain’ by Tommy Mallet
February 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment
The latest offering from Tommy Mallet, ‘Only Planets Remain’, that moment before dawn and all its magic.
Almanac Memoir (and Music): Fool For You Anyway
January 29, 2021 by 1 Comment
Patrick White Award-winning novelist, short story writer and essayist, Carmel Bird described this autobiographical KD piece about youthful love as ‘a beautiful story. So simple, so sad, so true’.
Almanac Poetry: ‘White Owl’ – Tommy Mallet
January 27, 2021 by 1 Comment
A wise old owl is the focus of Tommy Mallet’s poem, ‘White Owl’.
Almanac Poetry: The Decline of Western Civilisation
January 26, 2021 by 3 Comments
This week’s poem from Kevin Densley is a short poem about a very big subject. He hopes that readers will find it ‘wonderfully pithy’.
Almanac Short Fiction: ‘A Pest Exterminator’s Tale’
January 22, 2021 by 1 Comment
KD describes ‘A Pest Exterminator’s tale’ as “a short story originally drafted a couple of decades ago and worked upon here and there ever since. It’s about many issues, including phobias, and has echoes of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. The environment is very much Geelong’s waterfront of decades ago, when it was still seedy and run-down and just starting to undergo the process of gentrification and renewal.”
Almanac Poetry: Jack Bradshaw and ‘Lovely’ Riley
January 19, 2021 by 3 Comments
This week, it’s ‘back to bushranging’ in the poetry of Kevin Densley – but his subjects, in this instance, Jack Bradshaw and ‘Lovely’ Riley, are not your typical bushrangers. His poem is about the exploits of a pair of oddballs who ‘were more like a bad vaudeville act than a duo to be feared.’
Beach Footy
January 18, 2021 by 2 Comments
Damian Balassone shares a seasonally-appropriate poem from his collection: ‘Strange Game in a Strange Land’.
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