Out now!
Short and Twisted 2010, an Australian collection of short stories and poems with a twist, is now available from Celepene Press and will be launched later in the month.
The book contains my poem ‘The Fortune Teller’, a poem about motor bikes and my brother. I posted here originally. Thanks for all your lovely comments.
The Fortune Teller
My brother went to see a fortune teller
who said he would die at the age of twenty-one.
That sharp thorn of thought stuck in my mind.
One day he was riding
a freeway on his motorbike
and the road rearranged his brain.
They patched him up at the hospital
and he walked out with no scars
visible to passers-by.
When he turned twenty-two
I laughed out loud with relief
and hid that thorn in my tin of memorabilia.
One day I took the thorn out of my tin
and showed my mother, laughing as I reminded her of the story
with a frown she said
but he did die, didn’t he.
Gabe Feathers McGee 
Yes, we suffer a lot of ‘little deaths’ that don’t quite kill us and some we may wish had done the job properly! One can only hope your brother is a long way down the road to recovery and Mum finds plenty left in your brother to be thankful for.
Thanks Stafford. Unfortunately he gets worse every year and is a constant strain on my elderly mother (but she is as stoic as they get and can handle him better than I can).
Congratulations! Your CV is building and building.
Thanks Paul.
Félicitations Gabrielle!
merci Benedicte and gros bisous.
This is probably my favourite poem of yours. You deserve to be included in the collection and to receive all the accolades going. *waving the pom poms* Go, Gabrielle. Go, Gabrielle!
Your such a sweety Selma (I love your pom poms).
I am sorry for your brother and your family.
I have watched others struggle through this type of “death”.
thanks for understanding opoetoo.
I loved this poem when you first shared it… loved in the way of recognizing beauty, the beauty of your words… but it also punched me in the gut. I agree with Selma… this is my favorite poem of yours that I have read. I’m glad that it was published… it deserves to be seen.
Thanks Bryan, I’m glad it punched you in the guts!
powerful! that’s how i describe your poem. it speaks louder on the edges. you showed them by bits and pieces of anecdotes. a superb ending. a gem of its own.
thanks Hames 🙂
The line “the road rearranged his brain” blew me away. The impact of the word “rearranged,” as used here, is incredible, something I have not come across before. Kudos to your writing, especially on a subject so close to home. So real. And instantly saddening. I hope for better times for your brother, your mother, and you.
Thanks for stopping by S.L Corsua and for your lovely comments 🙂
congratulations and it is a beautiful poem to be sharing
thanks Aletha, I’m looking forward to getting a copy.