The Burdekin Creative Writers Anthology

In February 2017, eleven people climbed the steep stairs at the Burdekin Library in Ayr. Beginners and experienced writers alike, they dreamed of novels, family histories, memoirs, anthologies and children’s stories. They sought a group of like-minded individuals who would inspire and encourage their creativity. From that meeting, Scratchy Scribblers was formed. Over the next six years, the group changed names and meeting locations multiple times. Members and partnerships came and went, but, throughout it all, the goal of the group stayed the same.

Burdekin Creative Writers is a welcoming space for writers to share their words, find encouragement and advice, enhance their literary skills, and have fun creating new things with only a pen and their imagination.

Because of this group, members have entered short story competitions and been published in anthologies. They have created newsletters, judged writing competitions, and learned to interview notable people in the community. They have written dozens of stories and poems and challenged themselves to write things they never would’ve created on their own.

In 2023, the group published their own anthology, an assortment of stories and poems from the members of Burdekin Creative Writers and Burdekin Night Writers. Burdekin Life is proud to share some of the work from this anthology.

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Realization to Indignation

by Cherelle Murphy

He stooped to push the mower, under the leafy tree,

He frowned and mumbled and grumbled, he was angry I could see,

His hat was knocked down to the ground, more angry he couldn’t be,

He said I’d have to trim the trees, or he’d forget about me.

He had to have easy access, he was stubborn as a field of mules,

I had to keep things tidy, he was tired of dealing with fools.

So after he had left me, I gathered up my tools,

Clippers, snippers, cutters and saws, he’d already told the rules.

The shrubs and bushes were easy and the palms were just the same,

And half the trees were easy, or so I tried to claim,

I’d cut off all the foliage, but big branches still remained,

With the limited tools that I had; it was becoming a terrible strain.

I needed something higher and the ladder would do the trick,

Poised and ready I began to saw, the branch was way too thick,

I couldn’t push quite hard enough, and the saw began to stick,

A bigger saw was needed, I gave that one the flick.

Armed and dangerous I was back ’cos I had a job to achieve,

I was determined I could do this, or so I did believe,

The branch cracked, began to fall, my reward I would soon receive,

But it hit the ladder, knocked me off, so yes, I’d been deceived.

The other branches stay on the tree, that job I had to rout,

I did the best that I could do, but I didn’t have the clout,

I’ve passed the job to a lopper man, he’s surely much more stout,

He has the tools and knowledge and that’s what it’s about.

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