Whimsy

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?

Fillings fill my days

Fillings fill my days
dreaming unlikely flavours
toasted sandwiches

Familiar dull ache

Familiar dull ache
smouldering distant longing
unrequited lust

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."

Firefox updated

Firefox updated
dark design and pop-up ads
because no NoScript

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

“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