City nights.
the flesh of the moon
is a thin slice
of apple: browning
and fingered
on a plate
in a toddler’s
playroom.
streets grubby,
rain down slick;
tears which weren’t
properly wiped.
For Dani
dani – forgive me; you’re in
another poem. and I hope
it’s the last one, but there’s things
there I’ll never get right. you,
for example: we only met
three times, and each one
was quite different.
I tried to finish this – I did –
describing times
in order. didn’t work.
I hope you’re still
alive, and that we don’t meet ever,
any time, in any field any-
where, surrounded
by any dandelions.
Walking into town
people all over –
like dropping a jar
from counter to clean
kitchen tile; watching as coffee
grains roll. I am one
amongst thousands
and we have nowhere to be. work
sometimes on Monday.
until then
we’ll while time away
making our lives seem
worthwhile.
Buddha’s delight
it’s february. meal-
time and chinese
new year. my fiancee’s invited
my family, some
of her friends. can’t go
home this year
(covid, of course)
so she wants them to see
what new years
are otherwise
like. and the table’s
been pulled out – there’s rice,
there’s some small bowls
of vegetables.
a marinade chicken,
some marinade pork.
a helping of tea
and a helping of soup,
and a scoop each of something
called buddha’s delight.
she sits here, delighted,
while my white irish family
pass bowls back and forth
like trains going into
a junction. my sister
has travelled, is somewhat
familiar – the rest
are surprised and quite
interested. polite at some
times, other times
enthusiastic;
they know what’s expected
by hosts.
and around
all these hanging
red ornaments. these tea
cups and bottles
of half-finished wine.
Freshness and flavour
a sprinkle of snow – no
not a sprinkle – just
one of those days
when the air
takes some zest:
a bit of a sparkle,
a bit of an appetite,
like a scratch on the back
of a pocket-sized
mirror and an edge
to your breath;
just some bite there,
you know? some
freshness,
some sparkling
flavour. unsure
what to wear
you go jacket
no gloves
and the mountains
to the south
look blue,
very close.