Whimsy

Melancholy clouds

Melancholy clouds
romance of a rainy day
droplets tease senses

Deep dive into dark

Deep dive into dark
make life inside your body
human submarine

However painful
I’m a sadist in that way
love the pain away

Singing through the night

Singing through the night
with 'Nine in the afternoon'
three in the morning

Zooming through details

Zooming through details
revisiting history
hearing an old friend

This town I call home

This town I call home
punctuated by small steps
laps around the block

Songs from the backyard

Songs from the backyard
all through the day and the night
blackbird melodies

Reheated again

Reheated again
filled with leftovers
never-ending days

I'm attuned to growth

I'm attuned to growth
my garden looks radiant
woke to rain falling

With joy in my heart

With joy in my heart
all across the universe
my fingers will reach

The grass is growing

The grass is growing
this wet spring will be hectic
bought a lawnmower

Trust your beating heart

Trust your beating heart
know you are more than enough
winter winds will pass

Dreams of blue heron

Dreams of blue heron
hiding in Patterson's Curse
beside a full dam

Is stealth mode engaged?

Is stealth mode engaged?
No one sees the stuff I post
I must be ninja

All those masks we wear

All those masks we wear
the many stances copied
how would I know you

There's always something

There's always something
finding ideas isn't hard
commitment evades

It takes a moment

It takes a moment
then my eyes begin to see
hundreds of small blooms

Seen crossing the road

Seen crossing the road
their dark shells reflecting light
giant cockroaches

They grow out of me

They grow out of me
all these different projects
it doesn't make sense

The truck driver grabbed

The truck driver grabbed
one fist of air from outside
one finger stood out

Birdsong intensifies

Birdsong intensifies
the equinox approaches
hayfever explodes

The sparrows called out

The sparrows called out
on the trampoline they swarmed
a honeyeater

Nettles in my yard

Nettles in my yard
bite my legs as I pass by
I'll bite them in pies

Sun rising early

Sun rising early
blackbirds are singing new songs
as wattle blooms fall

Words make me aware

Words make me aware
how each syllable, each vowel
sketches a person

I wake with headaches

I wake with headaches
I sneeze and wheeze through the day
spring brings allergies

Each day circles round

Each day circles round
the story remains the same
exasperation

“Over here,” he chirped

“Over here,” he chirped
trying to lead me away
as I pass his nest

Nicknamed a ‘hoop’ snake

Nicknamed a ‘hoop’ snake
covered in circular lines
the bandy bandy

Orb weaver maybe?

Orb weaver maybe?
Hard to see the resemblance
Spider Orchid bloom

Surprises await

Surprises await
bushwalkers after spring rains
stars shine from the dirt

Under cypress pines

Under cypress pines
dusty fragrance surprises
chocolate lilies

I whistled at her

I whistled at her
she stopped and gave me a look
little friarbird

Edging on the path

Edging on the path
spiky leaves tingling my legs
stinging nettles grow

Waving from the ground

Waving from the ground
little hands sway with the breeze
pink fingers orchids

Watching the garden

Watching the garden
movement from among the weeds
little lizards crawl

Sitting in the sun

Sitting in the sun
on the warm northerly breeze
floating spiders webs

Among yellow blooms

Among yellow blooms
western donkey orchids wait
for a fly to land

The sun behind me

The sun behind me
watching a bird's shadow fly
on the wattle bloom

That nascent moustache

That nascent moustache
incongruent on his face
taught my son to shave

Golden dots on sticks

Golden dots on sticks
a firework frozen in light
varnish wattle blooms

Birdsong is changing

Birdsong is changing
as I am awake to hear
spring days start early

Dirt under my nails

Dirt under my nails
pile of uprooted clover
tending the good weeds

As the seasons change

As the seasons change
whistling outside my window
a new melody

Eyeing her subject

pencil dancing on the page

I watch Jo draw plants

Yellow explosion

Yellow explosion
heralding spring's arrival
wattles in blossom

Icy August wind

Icy August wind
drills a way through my garments
on clear sunny days

The walls closing in

The walls closing in
toes numb under the covers
another cold night

Both my youngest kids

Both my youngest kids
listening to Hamilton
murmuring lyrics

Feels like younger days

Feels like younger days
shunning sleep to finish work
dreaming while awake

His whole face crinkles

His whole face crinkles
folds in a kind of softness
accommodating me

Caught in the moment

Caught in the moment
words tumbled out from my mouth
their look hides disgust

My bike was stolen

My bike was stolen
I worked through emotions quick
still I lost a day

Some have forgotten

Some have forgotten
our most humanest birthright
creativity

Enjoy that moment

Enjoy that moment
reflecting on reflection
self-love is still love

Motivation slips

Motivation slips
among gaps in to-do lists
it must be Friday

I met on the road

I met on the road
among dumped expectations
the end of the year

For fifty dollars

For fifty dollars
the curls that framed his young face
all dropped to the floor

As winter drags on

As winter drags on
wattle trees begin to bloom
sunlight increases

Vanilla with oak

Vanilla with oak
cherry, plum and tobacco
last from cellar

Through empty branches

Through empty branches
then between my flesh and clothes
winter winds blowing

Something haunting me

Something haunting me
feeling I should be busy
dissatisfaction

Poked through memories

Poked through memories
distortions of importance
strange significance

Small acknowledgment

I found myself in a quote

and felt understood

Rise but mostly fall

as strong winds blow sheets of rain

across sheets of roof

Little interval

possibilities ahead

projects behind me

Confusion a mask

falling as a rubber band

breaks our truce again

Water disappears

lying still in the hot bath

then burns as I shift

Pulling on nose hairs

stirring explosive sneezes

I am a bald ape

Intimate moments

connect across afternoons

hedonistic days

Fingers in the dirt

grasping at a weed tap root

at one with the yard

While walking behind

in a cloud of cumbungi

I captured magic

Remain where they drowned

signs of what Fivebough once held

weathered black box trunks

Steps accompany

the flick of a tail feather

as the swamphen struts

Puddles near and far

a path snakes through cumbungi

reflecting rain clouds

Her school raise concerns

that family trait displayed

in marks down her arms

Default mode is cold

when I turn to old habits

winter slowly turns

I can't help myself

beautiful art within my reach

so I will grab it

(Art by Carol Davidson)

Temperature falls

and from distant citrus farms

the hum of frost fans

The folding of light

The folding of light
shrinks distances while standing
brings the wary close

Standing very still

Standing very still
a thornbill doesn’t see me
breeding plumage glows

Marrawa St sign

Marrawa St sign
always wanted to add "na"
30 years later

I tease my daughter

I tease my daughter
call her favourite singer
Barry not Harry

In much simpler times

In much simpler times
hugs with enthusiasm
a kiss on the neck

Catch my reflection

Catch my reflection
those dark eyes look back at me
across the decade

Those ducks might be pairs

Those ducks might be pairs
a pelican stands alone
swans swim with cygnets

Noisily take flight

Noisily take flight
disturbed from the cumbungi
Magpie Geese return

Explosions of sound

Explosions of sound
echoing with bright colours
a crowd coos as one

An attentive crowd

An attentive crowd
sharing enthusiasm
indulging passions

In the nicest way

In the nicest way
boosting my immune system
smiling and singing

Chatter announces

Chatter announces
golden-haired cisticola
among cumbungi

No chance to focus

No chance to focus
school holidays never end
ever since lockdown

Anxious for today

Anxious for today
dreaming of performances
I woke too early

Smells throughout the house

Smell throughout the house
lingers like toilet cleaner
her scented candles

Youse is a great word

Youse is a great word
Australians fondly say
but I still like y’all

Earworms multiply

Earworms multiply
each child sings different pop
holiday soundtrack

Pedals grip my feet

Pedals grip my feet
a saddle supports my seat
my bike carries me

Among distant swans

Among distant swans
saw my first Brolga today
we both walked Fivebough

Room full of toddlers

Room full of toddlers
excitement pushed to limits
as meerkats escape

Crafting my reasons

Crafting my reasons
navigating galleries
seeking artful terms

Opening emails

Opening emails
default view is negative
draft replies later