A sound like a clap

A sound like a clap
ignites imaginations
my hand on her arse

Specific feeling

Specific feeling
unsatisfactorily
defined with language

Let's light a fire

Let's light a fire
then watch our world burn away
from ashes we'll grow

Bloom at your own pace

Bloom at your own pace
as Kurrajong trees blossom
every other year

Losing track of time

Losing track of time
as the year crawls to an end
between holidays

How does sunlight work?

How does sunlight work?
Making towels and sheets smell nice
making me happy

One of the best sounds

One of the best sounds
as they lie in bed waiting
that sigh women make

Return to the hills

Return to the hills
the scent of geranium
perfumes the hot breeze

It's incongruous

It's incongruous
chills felt when stepping outside
on a summer's day

Greatest love I've known

Greatest love I've known
the greatest lover I've known
thank you for knowing

My wishes for you

My wishes for you
may this season be festive
let love light your life

Can I disconnect?

Can I disconnect?
Retreat from virtual worlds
to remain present?

Hide inside today

Hide inside today
water left outside for birds
hot weather forecast

Revving their engines

Revving their engines
those lonely young men tonight
wanking on the streets

Superb Parrots chirp

Superb Parrots chirp
flying quickly overhead
growing in numbers

The frog falls silent

The frog falls silent
as I approach his drainpipe
resumes when I pass

Watching lightning fall

Watching lightning fall
among dust-laden rain drops
awaiting thunder

As days flutter by

As days flutter by
they must feel like full lifetimes
to a butterfly

Crashed into window

Crashed into window
bent beak and feeling concussed
it's hard to Swallow

Exploring the dirt

Exploring the dirt
finding the places I'm hurt
letting the light in

Holding your blossom

Holding your blossom
we're flowers from the same tree
growing together

For resolution

For resolution
feel within your heart and gut
eyes do not see truth

Picking the scabs off

Picking the scabs off
the places where I should heal
watching old wounds bleed

Hidden in muscles

Hidden in muscles
discarded past emotions
knead to find release

I am here for you

I am here for you
offering patience and thought
reservoirs of love

White shape attracts eye

White shape attracts eye
it's a Heron stretching wings
contorts it's long neck

A thick rainbow arcs

A thick rainbow arcs
over my favourite gum tree
making my morning

A high-water mark

A high-water mark
in the form of a pale band
circling the bark

Tried kimchi pizza

Tried kimchi pizza
loved the vinegar with cheese
and spice with sweet sauce

Grass shifts between trees

Grass shifts between trees
as I approach the grass flees
green wings take to breeze

Grey clouds, humid wind

Grey clouds, humid wind
beads of sweat joined by rain drops
first day of summer

Donning my armour

Donning my armour
the breastplate covers my heart
hiding my feelings

Fingertips felt charged

Fingertips felt charged
relishing intimacy
her touch revealed much

Watching teachers fight

Watching teachers fight
evaluating their strengths
admiring technique

Days are lengthening

Days are lengthening
somehow hours are shortening
as time slips away

Wiradjuri scars

Wiradjuri scars
like sign posts by the roadside
we walk together

Jarring dissonance

Jarring dissonance
between the idea and thing
it's disconcerting

Holding onto you

Holding onto you
after our silence has stirred
wishing for more calm

Like Snapchat filters

Like Snapchat filters
but make you look a wanker.
Should be called Fapchat

There is no limit

"There is no limit,"
writes wise Michael Robbins, "to
what a poem can't do."

Some plants forecast rain

Some plants forecast rain
as pods pop in the hot breeze
spilling wattle seeds

Leaning with the stream

Leaning with the stream
rooted to this sandy point
as droughts and floods pass

River Red Gum tree
perhaps 1000 years old
sentinel of change

Hairy Panic rolls

Hairy Panic rolls
carried by the morning breeze
into a dry day

Grey Box trees give way

Grey Box trees give way
as the highway turns inland
wattles crowd the view

Alarm clock inside

Alarm clock inside
sleep broken with breaking wind
before dawn stirs birds

My woken heartache

My woken heartache
to see through another's eyes
reflect their strength back

As the lights go out

As the lights go out
the silence between breaths grows
frog croaks seem louder

Awakened to beeping

Awakened to beeping
after windows left open
forklifts can fuck off

Bricks warm to the touch

Bricks warm to the touch
insects and birds share puddles
summer's here early

Materialise

Materialise
handwritten words on a page
watching thoughts appear

Bounded by this flesh

Bounded by this flesh
our beings extend further
to reach into hearts

Wrote to my member

Wrote to my member
it wasn't the first time but
this time they wrote back

Eyes wander up legs

Eyes wander up legs
wondering eyes undressing
imagination roused

Awake to bird song

Awake to bird song
Is it their chorus at dawn
or restless full moon?

Over three storeys

Over three storeys
a caged pile of oranges
defying Short Street

"We're wounded," she says

"We're wounded," she says
"Both hurt in similar ways.
Nursing each other."

Honeyeater pecks

Honeyeater pecks
while precariously perched
grevillea blooms

Drizzling before dawn

Drizzling before dawn
washing left hanging on line
puddles by daylight

Some security

Some security
creates insecurity
takes one to know one

Tae Kwon Do again

Tae Kwon Do again
after thirty years or more
I still step to punch

Locked out from Google

Locked out from Google
haiku was my first concern
email second place

Saturday morning

Saturday morning
jackhammer waits until eight
before breaking piece

Kookaburra stirs

Kookaburra stirs
a low trill before the dawn
returns to the nest

Small town Friday night

Small town Friday night
car tyres shredding on the road
burning money sound

Tentative first steps

Tentative first steps
limbs loosen after more songs
self-consciousness fades

Albury morning

Albury morning
birdsong I don't recognise
missing my routine

Intermittent rains

Intermittent rains
punctuate early morning
while sleep evades me

Wafting on mild breeze

Wafting on mild breeze
caramelised sugar smell
interrupts my thoughts

"Me too," I might say

"Me too," I might say
can't shake those beasts from my bones
knowing not knowing

Bristling branches hang

Bristling branches hang
normally a plain green shrub
red bottlebrush blooms

Stripped back by hot winds

Stripped back by hot winds
leave only the important
in Allah's garden

Poetry can cure

Poetry can cure
pervasive skepticism
know that language works

Prose for reflection

Prose for reflection
for self-fortification
to accept unrest

Purple irises

Purple irises
petals open in the sun
swaying in the breeze

Fear of missing out

Fear of missing out
world awash with images
it's all illusion

Anticipation

Anticipation
darkening clouds and warm winds
waiting for spring rain

Tractors plowing dirt

Tractors plowing dirt
wind carrying clouds of dust
ahead of rain clouds

A chime on the wind

A chime on the wind
my neighbour’s shade sail chain swings
to collide with pole

Cool breeze over tiles

Cool breeze over tiles
as the morning sky lightens
keeps my home pleasant

Writing workshop

“Quick! It’s your girlfriend.
She can’t see us on the couch.
Here take the cushion.”

One passionate kiss
was all it took for Nigel
to loosen his bowels

One middy later
nearly under the table
they were asked to leave

Radio at six

Radio at six
stirs a brighter room each morn
and deeper sleeper

Deep boom breaks silence

Deep boom breaks silence
kids cooing while dogs whimper
fireworks at showgrounds

One ear to the door

One ear to the door
both eyes on the laptop screen
awaiting a knock

A blue heron squawks

A blue heron squawks
like a strangled rubber toy
in the early hours

Bare limbs have been dressed

Bare limbs have been dressed
wearing this season's colours
as spring brings leaves back

Four frogs this morning

Four frogs this morning
croaking from storm water drains
as I walked the block

In quiet moments

In quiet moments
when a ringing fills my ears
I can sense a voice

Sunlight beams through bricks



Sunlight beams through bricks
slipping through the zigzag cracks
light a crooked path

Trickle on the road

Trickle on the road
reflecting light like water
brown snake soaking sun

This time of the year

This time of the year
daylight savings impact seems
disproportionate

When the rain begins

When the rain begins
I move the car for a wash
then return to bed

Magpie swoops my son

Magpie swoops my son
after stepping on prickles
his tears start welling

Talked into corner

Talked into corner
passion to speak frog-leaps thought
"F this and F that!"

300th Junto



300th Junto
three chords on three instruments
one hundred seconds

Nestled under gums

Nestled under gums
a delightful new theme camp
Glam n Cheese Toasties

“Bag of dicks” she says

“Bag of dicks” she says
then replies to my decline
“That was a statement.”

Red-breasted robin

Red-breasted robin
visits my Matong camp site
early afternoon

Flame embers float high

Flame embers float high
spun into night on smoke clouds
to dance among stars

Ghostly melody

Ghostly melody
follows me into my day
fragment of a dream

Calling for a mate

Calling for a mate
from a drain facing the park
the frog croaks loudly

Identical old blokes

Identical old blokes
tending to suburban lawns
white beards and track pants

Dried wattle blossom

Dried wattle blossom
sprinkled on my drying clothes
yellow polka dots

Woken too early

Woken too early
foggy brain won’t accept sleep
day becomes a dream

To suffer for art?

To suffer for art?
Spiny burr v spineless bum.
Ends with wimped out bum.

Paddocks dressed yellow

Paddocks dressed yellow
populated by gum trees
Riverina spring

Buried in pine trunk

Buried in pine trunk
shy echidna hides their snout
needles pointing out

This sponge in the sun

This sponge in the sun
moss growing on arid soil
cryptogamic crust

Flying toward sun

Flying toward sun
glossy feathers reflect light
turning black to white

Dreamed I found a boy

Dreamed I found a boy
after the end of the world
we hid together

Awoke feeling scared

Awoke feeling scared
Dream of ghosts that make us sad
in haunted houses

Some salt will go far

Some salt will go far
making a thick pizza dough
a solid result

The garden hisses

The garden hisses
cool air seeps from the shadows
the sprinkler's left on

Australian flags

Australian flags
flutter in the dusty breeze
above Narrandera

In a haze of pink

In a haze of pink
spun sugar wisps in her hair
making fairy floss

Hardenbergia

Hardenbergia
climbing up the gums and shrubs
crowning them purple

A Superb Parrot

A Superb Parrot
considered vulnerable
Threatened Species Day

Skeletal remains



Skeletal remains
witness to another age
Koonadan sandhill

Wind shifts to the south

Wind shifts to the south
as cloud smother increases
this week will be cold

Taking night photos

Taking night photos
confronted by a neighbour
carrying a stick

Gift for Fathers Day

Gift for Fathers Day
made at school by cheeky son
says "Your atrocious"

Weird symbolism

Weird symbolism
I dream I'm in an airport
attacked by spiders

Inner voice I hear

Inner voice I hear
the conscious of my conscience
my intuition

Melancholy call

Melancholy call
against rising traffic noise
Butcher Bird returns

The hum of Leeton

The hum of Leeton
heard 24 hours a day
from the Rice Co-op

Beneath a cold cloak

Beneath a cold cloak
preparations underway
blossoms now appear

Binge watching TV

Binge watching TV
left wanting to play Scrabble
after Handmaid’s Tale

As light breaks through clouds

as light breaks through clouds
announced by the crowing birds
season is changing

Walking Seville Street

Walking Seville Street
a metaphor dawned on me
lit by the street light

branches reaching up
like flames from the star called sun
a small golden orb

My heightened senses

My heightened senses
race to place surrounding sounds
music of the night

None will breathe easy

None will breathe easy
chimney smoke chokes the cool air
under a clear sky

View from the gutter

View from the gutter
from the suburb to the stars
free from obstruction

Wattles are blooming

Wattles are blooming
first our Silver then Varnish
yard hums with bees

The fireplace burns bright

The fireplace burns bright
as dawn lightens the morning
warmth spreads throughout me

Deflated feeling

Deflated feeling
after working through the day
for criticism

Childhood memory

Childhood memory
opening paperback books
meaning-filled pages

I see this photo

I see this photo
I hear a crowd united
in awe saying "Ooooooh"