MAX MERCKENSCHLAGER
Max is a retired teacher and Australian plant seed harvester. He now lives in a sustainable energy home on “Babblers”, a 24 hectare dryland property in sleepy rural Caloote SA, which he and wife Jacqui have re-vegetated with species natural to the district.
Max writes rhyming “bush” verse and free-form poetry. Recent successes include the national championship winning poems in 2006 and 2007,and Grenfell NSW statuettes for best poem (all sections) in 2006, 2007 and 2008. His poetry has appeared in a number of anthologies, including Award Winning Australian Writing 2008 (Melbourne Books) and Culture is … Australian Stories Across Cultures 2008 (Wakefield Press). His first book of poetry Legacy is currently in the hands of Ginninderra Press (Port Adelaide. Reconciliation, Australian history and the natural environment feature strongly in his work. Lyrics of Max’s ‘Sorry Day Song’ were included in a ReconciliationSA/ Government of SA education pack delivered to 1500 SA schools in 2008. The song can be heard and downloaded free at his website www.scriptsongs.com
LIFEMARKS
First collection by three time national title-winning SA poet Max Merckenschlager.
52 rhyming and freeform poems. A spoken word disc of all the poems is included with the book.
$15.00 for book & disc
add $1.50 for postage and handling
“Lifemarks” RSD 2077 Caloote SA 5254
maxandjacqui@bigpond.com
Max has competed successfully in both rhyming and open poetry competitions for more than a decade.
His rhyming wins include:
- national written bush poetry championships in 2006, 2007 and 2009
- 5 NSW Grenfell-Henry Lawson Festival Awards (2004, 2005/6/8/9)
- 2005 QLD Sunshine Coast Literary Awards
- 2007 QLD Bundaberg Bush Lantern Award
- 2008 QLD Beaudesert Country & Horse Festival
- 2009 NSW Gulgong Festival statuette
His open poetry wins include:
- 4 Grenfell statuettes for best poem, all classes in 2005/6/8/9
- 2005 SA Stumpy Festival open poetry
- 2006 Adelaide Plains Poets ‘Ornanthology’ competition
- 2007 Bundaberg Festival Of Arts open poetry award
- 2008 Scribbligum “gumblossom” award
- 2009 Auburn SA CJ Dennis Literary Award for unthemed poem
An accompanying spoken word data disc contains three poems in a sung form (incorporating the lyrics of three of Max’s poems). Two were placed (first and third) in the 2006 NSW Inverell ‘Celebration Of The Outback’ song-writing competition. Three of his spoken poems are teased apart by Max to explain his methodology in writing both rhyming and freeform poetry.
Email address is maxandjacqui@bigpond.com
The Entertainers
Clowns at the interface, comics of aerospace,
fun-loving larrikins out on a lark;
costumed in rose and gray, tumbling in mass display –
toe-hanging wire tricks ring down the dark.Frivolous soaring packs pirate the airway tracks;
even while resting they’re scene-stealing czars.
Loop-minds vociferate expletive cries that grate.
Hardly surprising we call them “galahs”.
