Dad - 2011

In your garden the flowers
seem to wait for you.
We walk around
and I could swear
the little orbs of colour
lean out to you -
expectant and hopeful
of affection
like small animals.

And you hold them,
so softly - in your
rough fingers
your words kissing
each little life

'Isn't this one just beautiful?', you say.

Nameless

Sometimes I see you in
the most unusual places.

Once,
I saw you in my bedroom
window -
you came in and
spoke to me about
the summer and
the wind,
the smell of ripe grasses and
where you
had been and would go ....
and then you left again

and I was changed.

And again - in Paris
I saw you with
a beautiful black man - he waved his
cane at me and smiled,
I sat so shyly with
you both a while.

In Tokyo - in Yoyogi park
you made me cry.
I saw you in the moonlight
dancing with abandon
and I heard you -
a sad flute
amongst the warm
darkness
in the trees.

Cable Bay - 2011

The dark lip of night
comes from far
across
the horizon.
So far -
but it is coming.

The fingers of land
which make the usually
brazen mouth
of the bay
fall into shadow -
silenced.

And the ocean roars.
She pushes her body
onto the curves
of the shore,
and exhales.

MAYA

Maya -
bad girl.
Whispering about
killer snakes
and gays
in pink t-shirts.

Teaching me
to shave my
young legs in
the mineral stained
tub at 12.

Smoking pot
down on the
quiet river bank
together
the soft singing water
eternally leaving us
for somewhere
new.
We didn't talk a lot.

And I remember your
night dark eyes,
and how you
cleaned your
small
curtain walled room
for me before I
visited you .....

and the jewel
toned
jelly babies
you hid from your
family to give me ....
in a blue and beige
tabby cat tin.

You were only 13.

Gwangan Early Morning

I feel so quiet here
this morning
so soft
and voiceless.
This morning has
shifted me -
opened me out
into beauty
and I can't
speak.
I feel touched
by the sky's
hand.

Korean Elvis - 2010

Thank you
small Korean taxi driver -
probably a
grandfather
to small moon eyed
Korean children -

thank you for
driving me home
one neon-sparkled
night in the
balmy
tidal summer

- thank you for
singing me
four
perfectly melodious
Elvis songs
as rounded
and clear as
the chime of
a bell.

Untitled 2001 (one of my many death themed poems from around this time)

The day
that you
left
someone hung
the veil
of the forgotten
over my eyes.

I'd cry
and even
I
wouldn't
notice the
grief.

I wandered
the paths
of shadows.

Untitled poem - 2000 (genre: humorous emo)

The amount
of times
that I
tried
to spin my
web
around
your face
and you would
raise
your arms
and yell:
'don't suck my blood!!'
or
'I fear the end!!'
and I would
laugh,
for little did you
know
about death.

When you found
me
slumped
against the prison
wall,
you ran
screaming
like some panicked
rabbit
across the hot fields
of
Mexico.

I watched you
sprint
in and out
round and 'tween
the cactus plants.
Then you fell
and were slumped
against a goats skull
-now you understand.

Untitled Poem - 2001

The sun set
yesterday

and seems to
have remained
so on it's own
accord.

Fetch me my hook
and
sinker, boy
and soon I'll have
it's heat
baited to
my line.

Tugging and huffing
we'll prise
her precious shell
away -
wrench her from
her skin.

Sky's House - 2001

I smelt something old
something past.

It was your house
a memory
in dark woods
and heavy curtains
and sprawling feijoa
orchards,
wooden pergulars
and your sunny blonde
haired
marmalade
brother.

Your mother's
unknowing comb
through my
untangleable
corkscrew hair.

Found Poem (from my New York daily planner) 2001

Marxist
Anagram
Green
Nostalgia
Ontario
Lint
Initiate
Astoria

I don't know what I was up to when I was 20 ......!! cracks me up tho.

Found Poem (from my 'what I did today' notes) - New York 2001

What I Did

Caught taxi to Eliz St
met tiny girl
in Soho Apt.
She said Madonna
has eaten downstairs.

Went had sand & coffee
after scouring NY for
village voice.

Wandered bought Madonna
and Dylan t-shirt,
dance CD and I <3 NYC
t-shirt for Tracey.

Went to Bloomingdales
and got
serious agra / claustra
phobia.

Changed FDNY t.
Realised train NOT till 8.47.

-Umbrella & I
walked all around.

Went to catholic church
emotional and through
unemotional service
felt safe
calm.

Took photo of flashing lights
of man with fake penis.

walked 20 blocks to
Anne O's house;
wasn't there.

Walked in rain, aimless
till Italian diner
for dinner.

Penn Station - long
nosed girl, bright red
lipstick
African print skirt.

Laughing to myself whole
time cause it's so
full on and hard to
handle but I love it so
much.

Pager: 917 883 0748
Dog, T and Pat
Harlem boys.

Jackie: Apt 8
Nolita
New York, New York
10012.

- Mags