This is an ending

This is an ending
as thoughts must remain my own
collected elsewhere

Stock boiled with nettle

Stock boiled with nettle
rice cooked with spinach and leek
best risotto yet

Washing the dishes

Washing the dishes
gloved hands deep in hot water
trackpants start to slip

The moment light hits

The moment light hits
perfectly in photograph
composition skewed

Hearing her heartbeat

Hearing her heartbeat
quickening pace on embrace
touching her backside

I trimmed my branches

I trimmed my branches
allowing more light to fall
the birds look confused

I dream of travels

I dream of travels
forget the town where I live
my heart lives elsewhere

Glorious sunshine

Glorious sunshine
spring is time to exercise
fleeing from magpies

Cloaked as though shadowed

Cloaked as though shadowed
mocking me from a corner
a ghost out of reach

I dream of houses

I dream of houses
sprawling and familiar
yet no home of mine

Lovers end each day

Lovers end each day
as sun sinks behind her curves
clouds begin to blush

Outside my windows

Outside my windows
the blackbirds have been singing
before the sunrise

Adults need to play

Adults need to play
playgrounds are for everyone
swing those swings today

Deceptive sunlight

Deceptive sunlight
blinding clear skies late winter
cold daggers of wind

Through overcast months

Through overcast months
they looked and snapped like bare sticks
then blossoms appeared

Old dog learned new tricks

Old dog learned new tricks
resisted the resistance
kept my big mouth shut

Voices overlap

Voices overlap
discrete yet under one roof
singing and speaking

These lines like blushes

These lines like blushes
revealing in their response
I can't keep secrets

Where does doubt flow from?

Where does doubt flow from?
Seeping under foundations
sinking the building

It was the first time

It was the first time
the barber trimmed my eyebrows
feel I’ve come of age

In my thoughts again

In my thoughts again
never getting over you
gives something to do

Lackadaisical

Lackadaisical
from Shakespeare’s term “lack a day”
into something else

Looking at my kids

Looking at my kids
imagining them older
seeing they are older

Harshest conditions

Harshest conditions
peak in summer and winter
death comes twice a year

Research your passions

Research your passions
love of art is art of love
it’s all in technique

Belly button lint

Belly button lint
a message from your mother
wash your self and clothes

An email just asked

An email just asked:
“How to get a big penis?”
Dating men I guess

I’m a strong white man

I’m a strong white man
who drinks only one coffee
only one each day

When I stretch my arms

When I stretch my arms
while on my own each morning
Brian Blessed yawns

I knew you briefly

I knew you briefly
you held my gaze and I yours
anticipating

Save them for future

Save them for future
those emotions stirred just now
what was I thinking?

His backyard garden

His backyard garden
symbolised he provided
the shed workshop too

Falling raindrops pause

Falling raindrops pause
shifting light changes the scene
detail in focus

Dulled hum of traffic

Dulled hum of traffic
respectful sparrow chatter
awaking in fog

In our thoughts are words

In our thoughts are words
encoded experience
transmitted feelings

Pic by Peita Vincent of 'The Second O of Sorrow' by Sean Thomas Dougherty

A clearing shower

A clearing shower
petrichor soaks through wood smoke
gentle morning rain

Cool sheets on warm skin

Cool sheets on warm skin
a transition that contrasts
warm bath each morning

Epic character

Epic character
a constraint in composing
very big guitar

Since the dawn of time

Since the dawn of time
singing with the rising sun
birds echo our sphere

Wandering hunger

Wandering hunger
my breakfast is distraction
I seek thought all day

School holidays end

School holidays end
the house is ours once again
to do “nothing much”

Happiness demands

Happiness demands
remember to surrender
freely and deeply

Running together

Running together
pictures will appear to move
each frame a lifetime

Pale leaf remaining

Pale leaf remaining
on naked limbs of bare tree
lit by morning sun

The deer in the bush

The deer in the bush
also eat magic mushrooms
as should animals

Her snort when she laughs

Her snort when she laughs
speaks of unselfconsciousness
holding her own space

Dream another's dream

Dream another's dream
waking on another's bed
disoriented

In golden light beams

In golden light beams
reflecting on the low clouds
slivers of sunset

Sparkling on grey clouds

Sparkling on grey clouds
shifting patterns in the sky
flocks of white birds fly

Like The Hulk's ripped clothes

Like The Hulk's ripped clothes
bark hanging off in ribbons
smooth gum tree branches

When the sky is clear

When the sky is clear
you can see the stars at night
then you feel humbled

Playing on the drums

Playing on the drums
hitting along to a tune
tears stream down my face

In death as in life

In death as in life
standing out under blue sky
absorbing sunlight

Each clump a story

Each clump a story
hair on the barber shop floor
all swept together

Their crisp outlines shine

Their crisp outlines shine
speckled with solid water
as air and time freeze

Midnight is not dark

Midnight is not dark
light travels across my yard
night is polluted

It looks like a bunch

It looks like a bunch
mugwort leaves tied together
to make a smudge stick

Eating on nettle

Eating on nettle
the hungry caterpillar
before getting flicked

Only humans see

Only humans see
a boundary to the yard
for birds it's a perch

The frost on the leaves

The frost on the leaves
gives the eye a sense of touch
outlining contours

Awoke from a dream

Awoke from a dream
attempting to cook a meal
knowing it would fail

The trees on my street

The trees on my street
standing naked in the fog
as night turns to day

The growl of the wind

The growl of the wind
as gusts navigate objects
I relate to this

Versatile nettle

Versatile nettle
growing throughout my garden
happy to see you

Loving zucchini

Loving zucchini
I collect and dry the seeds
to love it again

Counting my fingers

Counting my fingers
moving lips while thinking words
waiting for the sun

Accepting coffee

Accepting coffee
knowing the pleasure will pass
mindfully or not

Sense of wonder grows

Sense of wonder grows
at the end of the longest night
meeting first daylight

Hungry at first light

Hungry at first light
frozen blossoms for breakfast
winter solstice breaks

I met a woman

I met a woman
wrapped in coat
outside at dawn
“It’s freezing,”
she said.

On the bottlebrush

On the bottlebrush
plays the haunter of the dark
I see tentacles

The inscrutable

The inscrutable
exhortations of my soul
call me to record

Her old-fashioned name

Her old-fashioned name
speaks of cautiously planning
the moment to bloom

Been a few winters

Been a few winters
since the woodpile has been cleared
my big logs will burn

Winter cold shoulder

Winter cold shoulder
facing the first frost this week
reaching out for light

Stray thoughts are sprouting

Stray thoughts are sprouting
blogging is like gardening
my patch needs tending

Blog left untended

Blog left untended
writing wasn’t remembered
brain feels distended

Sitting in ruins

Sitting in ruins
after the apocalypse
the mint still smells good

Tasks hanging about

Tasks hanging about
like a winter washing line
clothes stretching for days

"It's just you," she says

"It's just you," she says
I walk past her house at night
teasing or relieved?

Facebook sucks dogs dicks

Facebook sucks dogs dicks
after years they found a link
now I'm banned again

Dried blood from a bird

Dried blood from a bird
casts a shadow on the road
even after rain

Winter changes pace

Winter changes pace
allowing water to rest
sparkling in the sun

You can learn a lot

You can learn a lot
watching how marshmallows roast
technique and patience

Cartoon by Little Hiker Bird

A friend pointed out

A friend pointed out
Baiame in the night sky
Now I can't not see

Jupiter taunts me

Jupiter taunts me
clouded evening and morning
yet shines while I pee

Shifting our language

Shifting our language
let's make kinship a focus
females as sisters

Pic by Di Paulger

Sign says "Be aware"

Sign says "Be aware"
as we walk an ancient land
"Songlines everywhere"

Pic by Ajita Cannings

Art by Libby Harward

Finding lost money

Finding lost money
is like payment for cleaning
at ten cents an hour

Disproportionate

Disproportionate
my mouth has gravity
words fall out of it

From out of the blue

From out of the blue
making associations
bridging new meaning

Future looks cluttered

Future looks cluttered
caught myself seeing double
as dreams blocked my view

Art by Betty Bradney

Cooked pizza tonight

Cooked pizza tonight
I must need validation
my kids all praised me

I can be many

I can be many
away from the gaze of light
dancing in shadows

The play of shadows

The play of shadows
create movement from sculpture
lighting is an art

Art by Lindee Russell

Susan Rogers says

Susan Rogers says
we're letting go of the past
to become future

The human spirit

The human spirit
finds some solace in nature
where straight lines are rare

That last gasp for breath

That last gasp for breath
colours the air like panic
as day ends again

How her hair moves back

How her hair moves back
as though clearing her whole face
to let her smile beam

As Y2K passed

As Y2K passed
we joked about the end times
it’s not funny now

Graceful like a tree

Graceful like a tree
letting go of vibrant leaves
while planning new growth

Listening to tyres

Listening to tyres
toxic masculinity
skidmarked cul de sacs

Reaching the cover

Reaching the cover
after reading the whole book
wanting another

Trying to stay cool

Trying to stay cool
while turning red in public
blushing like autumn

He looks much older

He looks much older
after only a few days
not seeing my son

Don’t let the weather

Don’t let the weather
fool you into assuming
everything is fine

With your indulgence

With your indulgence
one hundred and fifty poems

mark this small milestone

Surprised a shy bird

Surprised a shy bird
Australian Canary
shat itself then left

He showed us his heart

He showed us his heart
it’s sad it’s remarkable
he touched our own hearts

Under canopies

Under canopies
standing among the branches
at home in the trees

When light is distant

When light is distant
a sliver of reflection
can cut through shadows