After Carl Sagan

After Carl Sagan
stardust is overrated
praise unknown microbes

Awed by satellites

Awed by satellites
in a meteor shower
the night is changing

Time is circular

Time is circular
experiences loop back
as perspective shifts

Helping kids with school

Helping kids with school
learning how little I know
sciences and math

Bought green tomatoes

Bought green tomatoes
fried, pickled and salsa'd them
all revelations

Believe in past lives

Believe in past lives
recognise the characters
my variations

Our human birthright

Our human birthright
expression through any means
creativity

Fundamental tone

Fundamental tone
a standing wave resonates
in every structure

Isolated since

Isolated since
summer temperatures scorched
I’m an indoor pet

As summer faded

As summer faded
we shared a final moment
old praying mantis

Roof leaks cold droplets

Roof leaks cold droplets
rejection email arrives
puddles of failure form

Coffee withdrawal

Coffee withdrawal
burned my fingers on the stove
grateful for cuddles

We both woke early

We both woke early
restless with new beginnings
sharing future dreams

Who you always were

Who you always were
I’m pleased to see you become
Happy birthday son

Caught in our own webs

Caught in our own webs
sticking to the lines we spin
home becomes a trap

As autumn begins

As autumn begins
the joke that we might forget
Anzac Day means death

Woke to a cricket

Woke to a cricket
oscillating near my fan
seems we’re both lonely

Kids still play at dusk

Kids still play at dusk
as my bare feet find warm earth –
autumn in hiding

I choked that person

I choked that person
stopped thinking their thoughts and grew
die before you die

Like a polished blade

Like a polished blade
reflection can produce change
mirrors cut deeply

Restricted movement

Restricted movement
buying food and staying home
fattened in our pens

Grizzling in our cave

Grizzling in our cave
it may as well be winter
we should hibernate

Running around mint

Running around mint
focusing my camera
hunting butterflies

Old gaming console

Old gaming console
sentimental favourite
past summers return

The first bloom of spring —

The first bloom of spring —
while teacher is occupied
whispers in the classroom

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm
propels me into my day
my mistress caffeine

Roof materials

Roof materials
beaten like the garden leaves
the sound of rain falling

High-pitched whine of birds

High-pitched whine of birds
perched on the broadcast tower
what is it they hear?

Masks, queues and rations

masks, queues and rations
supermarket wartime feels
reality check

After weeks of song

After weeks of song
the Pied Butcherbirds flew on
cool, quiet sunrise

I dream of scarred trees

I dream of scarred trees
ancient hollows everywhere
offering shelter

Weaning off coffee

Weaning off coffee
counting down the beans I brew
missing bitterness

Growing up in suburbs

Growing up in suburbs
cues from brick colour and hills
sensing location

If I were to paint

If I were to paint
airports shown from overhead
a plane's point of view

In isolation

In isolation
one thousand projects blooming
time is no constraint

Waving and smiling

Waving and smiling
letting people know we’re here
broadcasts to the world

My flowering mint

Flush with autumn rain
humming with dozens of wings
my flowering mint

Autumn brings rainfall

Autumn brings rainfall
concrete feels cool beneath feet
less mosquito bites

I took for granted

I took for granted
the simple joy of swinging
now the playground's closed

This is happiness

This is happiness
self-seeded watermelon
ripe at summers end

Ambulances pass

Ambulances pass
it further heightens stresses
without Corona

Being an artist

Being an artist
in a group full of painters
my concept of pears

Dreamed Prince wrote a book

Dreamed Prince wrote a book
on teens sexuality
from a woman's view

Distant star puddle

Distant star puddle
spilt across the morning sky
Southern cross pokes out

Ships come and ships go

Ships come and ships go
just as waters rise and fall
hardships and friendships

Kids in the evening

Kids in the evening
while their mother cooks dinner
scream at the backdoor

I thought two canned goods

I thought two canned goods
would let me buy two of each
two canned goods only

Making time to read

Making time to read
sunlight warms my bare stomach
flies tickle my skin

Breezes cool again

Breezes cool again
that bite in the day eases
smells like an ashtray

Smattering of clouds

Smattering of clouds
reflect the lightening sky
kookaburra calls

I'm too old for this

I'm too old for this
emojis are beyond me
layers of meanings

Sound relationships

Sound relationships
between our notes lie meanings
gaps make harmonies

Knowing somebody

Knowing somebody
little things we do to them
when they're not present

Slow-moving spectre

Slow-moving spectre
news forecasts growth in illness
I mourn deaths to come

It occurred to me

It occurs to me
I caffeinate for parties
feel like Pavlov’s dog

A beautiful start

A beautiful start
just enough clouds to reflect
the spectrum of dawn

I wanted to be

I wanted to be
but didn’t have the grades for
an aviatrix

Pull back the curtains

Pull back the curtains
meet your audience halfway
reveal their meanings

She wanted to rest

She wanted to rest
her father was firm she'd rise
school must've seemed best

Small euphemisms

Small euphemisms
powerfully influence
small-minded people

That softening smile

That softening smile
her partner kisses her neck
mid-conversation

Sky lightens outside

Sky lightens outside
my anticipation grows
today is blooming

That background murmur

That background murmur
my neighbour works at Woolworths
her voice takes me there

Ideas stream past me

Ideas stream past me

walking at night with my son

I can only "Hmm?"

Mysterious vine

Mysterious vine:
cucumber or zucchini?
No, watermelon.

Reading statistics

Reading statistics
thinking who I know will die
Corona virus

Rubber egg in fridge

Rubber egg in fridge

plastic spider on the floor

my son loves a joke

Cycling through websites

Cycling through websites
revisiting the Facebook
losing time online

Hanging up my towel

Hanging up my towel
with the swimming pool closing
summer is ending

Proofing poetry

Proofing poetry
praying mantis on my page
casts a long shadow

Lavender oil scent

Lavender oil scent
reconstituted by bath
sleepiness returns

Sitting by a creek

Sitting by a creek
watching Kookaburras bathe
Wallabies drinking

We are what we eat

We are what we eat
with food exported from here
our river flows far

After interviews

After interviews
I dream we all board a car
subject takes the wheel

Our awkward glances

Our awkward glances
she stands naked before me
life-drawing model

A sliver of moon

A sliver of moon
glows in the fading sunset
before the stars shine

Squeezing mayonaise

Squeezing mayonaise
"a sound that could curdle milk"
says my eldest son

Collections of words

Collections of words
my creative wayfinding
bite-sized diaries

Smell in the kitchen

Smell in the kitchen
earthy and familiar
a dish from my past

The scarred trees proclaim

These scarred trees proclaim
always was, always will be
Wiradjuri land

A chill in the wind

A chill in the wind
I worry I've lost summer
under a blanket

Among the drab weeds

Among the drab weeds
magnificent great egret
hiding in a drain

Maintaining routine

Maintaining routine
while faced with indifference
calls for tradition

Driving the wrong side

Driving the wrong side
sprayer hanging out window
poisoning the kerb

Some do not believe

Some do not believe
men's intuition is real
I know this is true

"Is this bike stolen?"

"Is this bike stolen?"
The guy in the wheelchair laughs
says he's not a thief

There's everything

There's everything
then there are things happening
then there are reasons

Researching stories

Researching stories
listening to memories
following a ghost

Leeton after rain

Leeton after rain
after dust clears from the air
smell of cattle piss

Try to remove one

Try to remove one
rubber band from a doorknob
abundance stifles

The wind from the east

The wind from the east
blowing feathers from the park
into street puddles

Feels like reverie

Feels like reverie
evokes timeless qualities
those sounds the rain makes

As the years go by

As the years go by
some challenges still remain
kids birthday parties

Relax and let go

Relax and let go
your life is in perfect flow
be swept up and float

My motivation

My motivation
trickling like a broken tap
can I make it flow?

Butcher Bird calling

Butcher Bird calling
warming up with a lone "woo"
then full melody

Truck deliveries

Truck deliveries
rumble of fruit unloading
scent of oranges

Sometimes thoughts pass by

Sometimes thoughts pass by
sometimes it fits a haiku
I wait in ambush

Selfishly dreaming

Selfishly dreaming
alternate reality
waking soaked ennui

To collaborate

To collaborate
it requires merging ideas
more than more people