Penny for a Poem

Spotless

2012-02-15T18:07:00.000-08:00

A tidy house

Hides the lies

Velcro Road

2012-02-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

This road is furry

And my feet are rough

Shadow Boxing

2012-01-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

Don't be afraid

It's only you

Upkeep

2011-11-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

We walked by the waving reeds along the river bank

His sigh both putrid and fragrant

A hissing duck and her ducklings so darling

This fine day in November

My shoulders shine against the midday sun

Warm and brown as an hen's egg in hay

Liquid ambers boasting with green so green, so green

And the water dragon high on frozen toes remains

While our shadows grow along the Morning Glory

Drowning hills

And I am reminded of nature's power

Kept at bay

Death and TV

2011-11-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

Silence so inviting

Stillness tempting me

Darkness eternal and comforting

Alluring

A warm bath

Never cooling

Knowing nothing

Not existing

Not in now nor in memory

Nor what may be

A fleeting thought

A memory

Words spoken

A smile

But then the dishes and your favourite tv show

He's Not Anywhere

2011-09-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

He was here

Not so long ago
Dragging a body breaking down
In silent betrayal

But still with a smile

And a chubby hand-shake

With a well-padded, callous palm

I can still hear his voice
It's almost outside my head

The silly things he use to say
Again and again

His empty chair, smelly - like he often was

His shoes, old - like he always seemed to be
His tools, retired - finally

I see him sometimes, when I'm driving

Shuffling by in a black, leather jacket

I check the rear-view mirror

But he's not there

He's not anywhere
He's just not

Out Smarted

2011-09-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

You had a hold on me

For oh so many years

But then I changed

So it's not me

You've got a grip on

Anymore

Miss Judged

2011-08-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

I thought he was high on something

Boy was I wrong

He suffered a head trauma

Too long ago to remember when

Nor can he remember

to take his pills

Three times a day

Table for One

2011-06-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

She had lunch alone in a crowded cafe

Turkey on rye with a soy latte

It took four minutes

For someone to ask her

If anyone was using that empty chair

Coming to Terms

2011-06-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

She's cleaning out her closet

There's some ugly things in there

She's tossing out her favourite blouse

When I asked her why she said,

"I can't make it love me."

while dusting off a pair of neglected sling backs

They were green.

Free Range Rhyme

2011-04-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

She hides behind her rhyme

She's afraid her words will run away

If the leash is released

And the cage of one page

Becomes another

Leaving nothing but a story

About the time she lost her rhyme

Sea-Burmese

2011-04-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Down on the jetty splintered and grey

Boats were nodding on a choppy bay

I loaded the hull with fresh supplies

When a brown Burmese with golden eyes

Charily climbed aboard to choose

A comfortable spot to take a snooze

Next to the tackle and smelly bait

This feline was happy to contemplate

So I started her up and off we putt-puttered

A brown cat and me in my little boat cluttered

Packed to the brim with all the stuff

One needs to survive if the going gets rough

And while I ponder all of nature's flaws

Golden eyes licks his salty paws

Begging a scratch on his belly exposed

His response - typically well-composed

When I planned this rare vacation

I don't recall sending him an invitation
I'm the discerning type, my heart's always closed

To selfish guests that have often imposed
But there is one guest I do prefer
The kind that comes with lots of fur.

The Little Things

2011-03-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

The little things she did
"It's the little things" she said

The little things she'd sweat over

It was the little things that did in her head

Relinquisher

2011-03-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

Why did you stop running?

The chase is all I know

I shall avert my gaze

When you reveal your heart

I'll pretend I didn't hear

The terrifying truth it speaks

Some things are better left to ponder

For when your heart was well a-hiding

My seeks were happiness providing

I don't profess this is all-well

To exist in what some consider hell

And yet these blazing walls for me

A welcoming familiarity

The Greater Thing

2011-03-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

The greater thing

Is toying with me

Such a cunning yet gracious playmate

But I'm still scared

It's like King Kong's got my back

Sabotage

2011-03-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

I write for you

I don't care who

My thoughts so tender

Gently coaxed from nesting groove

Tempted, bribed

With any measure

I bring them forth

For someones pleasure

But for the greatest accolade

I cannot trust

These things I've made

Where mediocre shines

I fade

I fade, I hide

I'll do anything to avoid that ride

I anticipate his voice quite clear

To remind me again

Of all I fear

To tell me what I don't deserve

And snuff my bloat

Of rising verve

Eyes Tight Shut

2011-03-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Soul snatcher

Catch my joy

With every pound

You greedy boy
Is that a grimace or a grin?
Eyes tight shut
While you wear me thin

Spirit Dance

2011-03-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

Wash me clean

And I will spin in travelling pastures

Silvery

And silent to the common ear

How loud it rings
Percussion of my spirit

With tiny bells

From heart to fingertips

And I will spin in the blue blades

Sleeping wildflowers

Pretending not to hear

How loud this wind

That carries me

My steady drum in the distance

Black tree smiling with spying owl

And I remain in splendid company

Midnight Encounter

2011-03-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

I shant forget one night last Spring

The moon cast a light blue as a raven's wing

And your long black hair like a sticky feather

Splayed across my breast as we slumber together

A bat breaks blind rhythm as it swoops from secret limb

And your hand wanders gently, gently away from him

I stroke your belly

My mouth you caress

Ephemeral pleasures

My eternal temptress

Echoed upon every glint of blue

Or balmy night

Spent apart from you

Picture Book

2011-03-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

My flesh quivers

When grainy paper stirs together 'tween thumb and fingers

And the smell of musty serif

Delights

The childheart in my mind

And I forget

For as long as the spine is split

And the weight

Of another world

Of another time

Is poised between my hands

And unburdens my mind

Dandelion Heart

2011-03-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

My dandelion heart

Will you ever sit still?

For just when I am settling

You drag me away

Again and again

Exposed to the Elements

2011-03-06T17:49:00.000-08:00

The rain licks the sheets on the line

As they flick back and forth

Against the breath

of an autumn gust

And the sun so ashamed

By this display

Has averted his eyes

Behind a grey cloud

The cloud doesn't mind

He's more than happy to watch

Naughty rain

Cheeky wind

Black Heart

2011-03-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

She knocked back a shot

Pointing at

Me! Me! Me!

And she whispered; "I've veered off the path of enlightenment and now I find myself standing

on the path of DESTRUCTION!"

I let her go on, on her merry way

"If it's good, I make it bad, if it's right, I make it wrong, if it's clean, I make it dirty, if it's pretty...

I make it uglier than my heart."

And she wailed a silent wail in that ugly, black heart

And her eyes drained the soot from its tarry pulp

What a wretch

A wretch

Perfectly Flawed

2011-02-24T17:07:00.000-08:00

Little bird with sweetest song

The notes you hit

Are never wrong

I don't recall

you ever stumbling

or forgetting the words

You're never mumbling

You don't follow notes

Or a sweaty instructor

The dawn is your cue

And the sun your conductor

There's no applause

No awards, no cheer

Yet every day

Without fail you appear

I try my best

To echo your song

But no one is listening

or singing along

They only react

When they pick up a flaw

But to your perfect pitch

No response at all!

The Lie

2011-02-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

My smile it lies

You think I care

The fatter you are

The better we fare

As long as the yellow

As long as the red

Are counting their pennies

We'll all be well fed

'Try this stuff

It's been our best seller'

We'll say anything

To a desperate fella

My smile it lies

You think I care

The older you are

The better we fare

As long as the ugly

As long as the grey

Are paying for potions

That rub time away

'Try this stuff

It's highly effective'

We'll say anything

To reach our objective

Reclamation

2011-02-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

Curse you numbers!

Look what you've done

You've killed my pretty words

1 by 1

Be Gone

2011-02-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

She's convinced

That time will shine

A telling light

On the murky corners

of her mind

So she must run, run far away

To preserve her truths

and keep you well at bay

To make you love her

To make you laugh

She must only reveal

Her better half

And if, Lord forbid

You start to catch on

The time will come

For her to be gone

Chasing It

2011-02-17T15:40:00.000-08:00

Ghost gums bend with the lonely wind

Seeking my company on this weed-strewn road

Where I walk

On a grey, summer morning

Collecting gravel in my rubber tread

And leaving nothing of me behind

Not even the scent of my damp back

Beneath my flapping tee

From where I stand

I can see your TV

Your sillouette

And this house

And this street

And the pebbles in your driveway

Are like misplaced notes from a fragmented melody

Recalled by a wafer of my gluttonous memory

Dreamer

2011-02-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

Dreamer

She lies beside you

But she's never there

To catch her

You've got to let her go

Drifter

She walks beside you

But with the shadow of her heart

To keep her

You've got to walk faster

Salt

2010-09-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

She made breakfast and wondered, quiet at the table

Who swept away the salt spilt yesterday?

And did they remember

To toss a little

Over their left shoulder?

Losing You(th)

2010-09-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Youth had left her like a lover before dawn

Nary a rustle or the chink of a buckle

Loose

She is left with its scent

And its silence

And oh!

The memory

Sunny

2010-08-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

Sunny was a very fat canary

He loved pound cake and all things dairy

The wild birds would gather and chirp in mock

But Sunny didn't care for that cliquey flock

On his sturdy perch he would sit all day

The odd little chirp from his breast would stray

So began a diet, strictly apples and seed

But Sunny's fussy palette over-ruled his greed

His stubbornness however, proved far more effective
Regardless of how, we had reached our objective

From his golden throat sprouts a brand new song

The wild birds struggled to sing along

So nimble was he, hopping to and fro

Too busy was he putting on a show

Too proud to stop for a snack and a nibble

I offered his favourites and the very best kibble

By the following 'noon his song grew weak

By the next morn' there was barely a squeak

I offered some cake but he couldn't be swayed

His glossy black eyes began to fade

I cradled him close and without protest

I watched it sink - his bony breast

His eyes exposed at half the mast

I smile when I think of his jolly past

I lay him down his shaggy plume

And bury him where the dafodils bloom

And every springtime when they sprout

A sunny yellow song they softly shout

Good Life

2010-08-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

After life had tucked her in

and kissed her cheek goodnight

She turned and asked if life was pleased

And life said, "I am only as pleased as you are."

One too Many

2010-07-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

The walls have cracks

and dustballs drift across the floor like sailboats

on a glassy lake

But there is life here

In a pot full of simmering promise

Boiling over on the stove

Slippers left peering out from under a sloppy bed skirt

Still warm

Some quiet groans and a whimper

And I feel most unwelcome

Shadows

2010-06-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

The warmest shadows

exist only

beneath my coat

And with your body

closer

We'll cast more warm and dark shadows

Casuarina Casualty

2010-06-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Beneath the Casuarina tree

The grass is sparse and the earth dusty

It's not a place I care to rest my body

Poor Casuarina with his tired canopy

He seems wearier than me

A Little Less of Me

2010-06-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

I don't like the browns of Autumn

I don't like the greys in her skies

I don't like the cold in her breezes

Stinging my watery eyes

I'll put on my shoes and start walking

I'll take a bottle and turn up a song

Quenching my thirst and my thirsty heart

Looking for a place to belong

My body it moves in circles

My head in the straightest line

In a while I'll be back where I started

With a little less of me every time

Legacy

2010-01-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

She's got a flabby belly

and her tits tend to sag

But her wit's intact

even for an old bag

Her bladder's weak

And her temper - short

You'd never know it

but she was once a good sort

Her teeth are false

and her hair is thinning

She's got arthritis

and Dementia's beginning

her ears are still good

her advice is sound

she's got no regrets

and when she's no longer around

Her picture will sit

on her daughter's shelf

Taken when her mother

was not much older than herself

She'll teach her own daughters

What her mother taught her

She'll tell them all about that world

and the way things were

But they're not really listening

They can't relate

They're too impatient

They've too much on their plate

They're not concerned;

"That was before we were born!

We didn't know her,

do you expect us to mourn?"

Painful Beauty

2009-12-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

A brisk, early walk in the new, summer sun

Ripe enough to cue cicada's eager song

I greet a row of marigolds swaying by a fence

and shade my squinting eye from their yellow too intense

The gods are blowing just enough to rouse the old, fan palm

Rustling it glistens while an old man waters on

I wave a bright good morning

My heart it pains my chest

A dog on a leash and a soap-sodden car

Now I run in clear protest

Searching for some ugly

to stop my welling tears

I head toward the highway

And comfort fills my ears

Nothing

2009-12-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

Yes she's back
Back from the living
Back in the land of the dead
"It's nice to be able to do nothing again." she says.

Too Good to be True

2009-12-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

Are you a four leaf clover?
Maybe I should do a recount
I'll use my head this time
One
Two
Three
My bad.

Blue Beret

2009-11-23T16:02:00.001-08:00

She's going to Paris

It's raining there

She's going to Paris

With tres bad hair

When she lands in Paris -

without delay

She'll hide all her hair

In a blue beret

And now all the girls

On the Champs-Elysees

are tucking their hair

in the same, clever way.

"Who would have thought...?"

in her journal she writes,

"...an American girl,

in the city of lights..."

Surrounded by pigeons

on an old, iron bench,

this American girl

is teaching the French

that to wear a beret

doesn't have to be kitsch

whether you're poor

or just stinking rich,

whether your short

or freakishly tall

a little blue hat

is for one and for all

Only Eight

2009-11-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

You're only eight

It's not too late

Your crocodile loafers

are happy to wait

when you're done with the mud

and the plastic gun

your plastic of choice

will buy you a real one

But it won't buy the smile

you're starting to lose

so ditch the croc loafers

for some comfy, old shoes

Carousel

2009-11-02T14:04:00.001-08:00

In my dreams I'm riding

My horse goes round and round

I'm naked without a saddle

his hooves don't make a sound

We take the road less travelled

By everyone but us

When I yearn to see the highway

My horse kicks up a fuss

He doesn't like to venture

discover different sights

We take the road less travelled

Endure long, silent nights

One day I'm gonna lose him

This horse called Deja vu

I'll slip right off his plastic back

and do what so few do

I'll snuff the song stuck in my head

for years it's ugly drone

I'll write a tune that no-one's heard

one of my very own

And then my feet will tap along

I'll dance a brand new groove

And I won't claim my rights to it

We've all the right to move

Spring Clean

2009-10-22T20:19:00.001-07:00

She drenches the mop
she wrings out her dreams
She soaks up the dirt
but not stubborn screams
She wipes away dust

but the tears remain
they settle in corners

thick with pain

She tackles the tub

with its ugly ring

but those ugly words

still stick

still cling

She plucks out the weeds

she feeds her roses

she plants a new memory

when the old one closes

Lilac and Blue

2009-10-20T17:59:00.001-07:00

Dear Mrs Jacaranda

you're making a mess

of my front verandah

without sounding rude

and somewhat bitter

would you mind getting rid

of your lilac litter?

For lilac and I

we don't get along

She knows that my feelings

for blue are quite strong

and no matter how hard

she tries to impress

it's blue I love now

and have always I guess

But I must give her points

for consistency

every year without fail

raining potpourri

she doesn't give up

she won't be ignored

until I admit

until she's adored

But it's blue that I love

I'm sorry to say

Blue doesn't give

so freely away

Out of my reach

way up, way high

it doesn't fall down

God forbid it should try

I pray that blue

will bless me each day

I stumble to check

but I'm greeted with grey

and if it remains

for more than I care

if blue becomes sparse

if blue becomes rare

I sulk like a woman

hanging on hope

with no word from her lover

she struggles to cope

So if you resent

my devotion to blue

Deny me your lilac

And I'll yearn for you too

Boots

2009-10-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

She loves her boots

With the endless lace

By the time she's done tying

All the blood's in her face

She can hardly wait

for the air to chill

Then she'll dust them off

for her feet to fill

With her clunky boots

She stomps about

She'll find any excuse

To wear them out

Even a trip

to the local mall

she'll dodge the crowd

and try not to fall

And since she's there

She'll have a browse

She'll buy more boots

if her Amex allows

She doesn't need

a very good reason

Apart from the fact

That they're so last season

A Wave for Alice

2009-10-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Alice is taking a trip.

She's stuck smiley stickers on her sneakers

And the basket on her bike

is filled with apples and peanut butter sandwiches

She'll stop and have a chat with you

about her cat

who stays put

when you give him a yellow jelly baby

Come tomorrow

She'll ride through your town

and ring her bell.

Be sure to wave

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

2009-10-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

If I was limbless

I would roll

from here to there.

I'd plan my route carefully

so as to avoid

steep hills,

this excludes

grassy banks

Crow Call

2009-10-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

By Hepoch

Hey Mr Crow

You sound like a woman

in pain

having an orgasm

It's hard to tell

Good Riddance Romance

2009-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

She laughs when she says

romance kills romance

she won't send a warning

when she gets up to dance

of course, you can't hear the music

it's all in her head

so if you're still talking

try walking instead

she won't take your roses

but she'll take in the scent

if you've no time for stopping

don't waste your intent

stop throwing your sweet

on a girl made of spice

she won't stop spinning

if you have to ask twice

The Starving Magician

2009-10-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

She's putting on a magic show

For her final act

she'll disappear

right before your eyes

though it may take

a few weeks

The High Life

2009-09-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

He's in a frenzy

he's in a whirl,

did he stop for lunch?

He can't remember

Did he bathe?

It doesn't matter.

Has he slept?

He's only paused

to jot it down

so he doesn't forget.

Black and Light

2009-09-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

She scours old photos

Searching for her face

To see what it looked like

Before ego

Found her

Before fear

Choked her

Before hate

Consumed her

Before love

Destroyed her

There were only a few

The End of Age

2009-09-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

She has decided

she's not getting any older than today

and tomorrow

she'll be a day younger.

Just wait 'till you see her

in a couple of years.

Peacocky

2009-09-28T18:14:00.001-07:00

It's a lovely garden.

She says it's missing a peacock

an ostentation in fact

but she doesn't have the room,

so one peacock will do

Next Appointment

2009-09-26T00:09:00.001-07:00

Her doctor's a pretty good sort.

Last time she went

his hands were warm.

She took it as a sign.

Blockhead

2009-09-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

She thought she could cure her writer's block

by writing about it.

They say it takes a while to kick in.

Crab Apple Tree

2009-09-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

I like you Crab Apple tree.

I like the cool of your dappled canopy,

it pleases me.

I want you all to myself

and to be sure no one else

discovers your appeal

I'll hide you under a giant marquee.

Running Out

2009-09-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

She's going to put on her shoes

and run

She runs to escape familiar sights

Her desire to explore the unexplored

will prevail over her pain

And take her to places

she's only ever seen on TV

Sitting Pretty

2009-09-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

I watched Pretty in Pink

and developed a sudden longing

for unrequited love

Second Skin

2009-09-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

If this body had a zip

I would slip

right out of it

Forever Young

2009-09-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Where has it gone

the folly of youth?

Did it grow old

and long in the tooth?

Our sagging jowls quiver

in condemnation

of brazen young men

without obligation.

We gasp and we scoff

with values antique

while girls oozing gusto,

chutzpah and cheek,

challenge a system

where rivets cry rust

and question the doctrine

of theories unjust.

But sadly that fervour

of which we once thrived

will be snuffed like a candle

and never revived.

Smooth Criminal

2009-09-08T03:24:00.000-07:00

Her bush is lush.
Her bush is thick.
He's not accustomed
to a hairy chick.
When she makes an advance,

(if he could be so blunt)

he recoils

from her shabby cunt.

But despite his gripes,

his constant objections

she's not deterred

by his candid rejections.
She won't be swayed

by his demands
and so they remain

those wiry strands.

But little did he know

while he was busy protesting,

she met a bush fancier

who found her arresting.

Her secret lover

had not a want,

for a smoother smoo

he was nonchalant

Winter-Weight

2009-09-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

His love is like a heavy coat in winter

She likes the warmth

but not the weight

Adirondack

2009-09-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

There's a lonely Adirondack out back,

blistering.

Between a cocky sunrise and a jealous sunset

she is met

with a gaze always

waiting for the next wave.

Upon his grassy mound he sits

Approving dogs with gritty sticks,

and kites with smacking tails.

Blue by moonlight

blushing by dawn,

my lonely Adirondack's

salty embrace

welcomes my grateful frame

like a patient friend.

Speculate

2009-09-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

Look all you like

But you won't find me,

I'm merely a spec

on your upholstery.

Just a little spec

on a big black stain,

where millions of specs

work hard to remain.

On Foot

2009-09-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

He's like wearing

a pair of comfortable, old shoes.

But she yearns

to walk barefoot

The Gap

2009-09-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

She likes precision.

When she makes the bed

she measures the gap

between the pillows.

Three and a half inches.

Private Function

2009-09-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

All you click clackers
you stem strokers
and wine sippers
All you scowlers
look-me-up-and-downers
you fake-chucklers
and pretentious talkers
All you name-droppers
brand-name exposers
and posers
All you food-disorders
self-obsessors
you - the new blackers
and chip stackers
All you blue blooders
cold hearters
and queue jumpers
All you snorters
you gold diggers
designer baby makers
and husband takers

Wave your hands in the air
Like you just don't care.

Fade to Grey

2009-08-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

Hey Mr Pelican

why the grey feet?

It looks like you're wearing cheap shoes

that vanish on concrete.

The Great Nifty Mable

2009-08-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a fable

about a charismatic rat

known as Nifty Mable

Nifty had a cat.

Yes! A cat as a pet.

Her name was Kit

and she hasn't bit her yet.

Kit keeps undesirables

mostly other rats at bay

For Nifty's unlike other rats,

she's not considered prey.

You see, her mother was a blue Burmese

whose eyes were not so keen

And when she bore a litter of eight

Nifty snuck right in between

She was picked-on by her siblings,

they'd mock her skinny tail.

Her mother fed her twice as much

so she wouldn't be so frail.

Nifty grew to be a scholar, a wordsmith, and a wiz

She lectured cats from around the world

on the meaning of being is.

Why we are here and what our purpose?

Is it simply to chase and catch?

Many embrace her poignant theories,

but the dull still hiss and scratch.

Cats have declared their prophet

and her name is Nifty Mable,

her sidekick Kit leads the enlightened flock

all devout and willing and able.

Nifty dreams of the day, cats and rats

will reside in a world of peace

But alas, there are zones on either side

where the carnage may never cease.

Bad Hair Day

2009-08-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Dear hairstylist,

I am not happy with my hair.

I meant to tell you so - I swear,

but after three long hours in that chair

I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.

I think you need to be aware

that while we smile, that vacant stare

indicates complete despair

why we're powerless to share

might have something to do with the way you wave those scissors in the air

it's so unfair

My next appointment is...elsewhere!

I just pray they can repair

this eighy-five dollar nightmare,

These days good stylists are so rare

You can't afford not to care

I'll tell all my friends to beware

I'll tell 'em you've got no flair, for hair!

Extended Family

2009-08-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

She's made a voodoo doll

of her mother-in-law

but instead of poking it with pins,

she makes it a little fatter and a little uglier

every day.

So far,

it's working like a charm.

ZitWit

2009-08-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

There was a little girl

who had a little zit

right in the middle of her forehead

While she knew it wasn't right

She was going out that night

So she squeezed that juicy zit

and now she looks horrid

May Afternoon

2009-08-26T15:57:00.001-07:00

They caught a water taxi to Watsons Bay

Where the gods turn up the sun.

On lit rocks like lizards they lay

sipping wine and nibbling cheese maturely,

waving shyly to smiling ferries fading in glint.

Fish-flavoured breezes carry laughter

from beer-infused dawdlers

lingering well past their lunch hour at Doyles.

In the early afternoon,

they stroll back to a shady room

and make love to REM,

surprisingly.

Quick Time

2009-08-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

So little time

to figure out

what to do with it

Smile-o-phile

2009-08-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

She was willing to forgive his excessive use of emoticons

until,

he used a horny smiley

in a steamy email

Premier Baiser

2009-08-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

She's never kissed the same boy twice

She never met a boy

she wanted to kiss

more than once

Bumblebee

2009-08-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Always in haste
Never resting for the dreary or the dull
To lure the bumblebee, pray your colours are mostly magnificent
for even then her pause is brief
Yet long enough to gather from the yields of your heart
With no hive to unburden her heavy harvest
She flies away

Snarls & Slugs

2009-08-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

He's a slug in navy Armani

spruced and juicy

nurturing a perpetual frown,

and a snarl quite unbecoming.

I know him too well

despite the coat so impeccable.

That which he believes to be impenetrable

is completely pellucid

and cannot conceal

the thickened blood between his bones.

Be shrewd and be wary

keep your wits,

when you are in his presence

know that his patience rests on a pin

know his imperfect flesh

is groomed only by him.

You displease him so

nary a word be uttered.

Leave him be.

Return you now

to your hearts and rags

Cat Bash

2009-08-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

The dog is gone

and the cats are getting together tonight

for a celebratory drink

in the drain

BYO prey

The Business of Pleasure

2009-08-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Her procrastinating

costs her a fortune

in batteries

The Bloody Hands of Time

2009-08-19T18:26:00.001-07:00

You have the blood of billions

on your hands.

But you get away with it,

every

time.

Waiting for Me

2009-08-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

As soon as she finds herself

she'll be herself

until then

someone else will have to do

Ode to Incontinence

2009-08-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Diddle Diddle

She can't hold her piddle

too many births made her weak in the middle

When she coughs or has a sneeze

the wee wee trickles past her knees

But she won't stoop to wearing a nappy

So she avoids jokes that make her too happy

Look first my friend and do beware

Before you sit upon her chair

there may be a puddle, there may be a pool

but at least it's a tinkle and not a stool.

Wax On, Wax Off

2009-08-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

Her skull is filled with wax

don't ask her any questions

until the height of summer

Sand and Tutus

2009-08-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Her little hips

have sprung a tutu

now she's bouncing

on the grey sands

of Corsica

and the last of the day's fiery lights

are ablaze in her curls

good evening

it's a pantomime in Corsica

she's the fairy of the shore

conducting waves and broken shells

(the weeks are nameless

the hours flagged by hunger )

in her dreams she'll do the same

and when her sand speckled lashes flutter

she'll emerge to do it all again

Wolf

2009-08-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Don't preach to my children

you've the eyes of an arse

keep your prayers and your crosses

your devotion's a farce

Whotch you got there old man

beneath long satin robe?

You've deceived half your flock

you've deceived half the globe

Whotch you do once the candles

are all snubbed out?

Bless'd wine has been drunk,

with your faith so devout?

I hear the click, click, clicking

of a mouse out back

Who you trick, trick, tricking

with the ethics you lack?

Off His Chest

2009-08-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

His brows were bushy

his lashes long

his hair was scruffy

his beard was strong

but his chest was smooth

nary a stubble

the cheek of a babe

the skin of a bubble

I wondered what

the reason be

a furry man

such as he

grooms the chest

so thoroughly.

For Granted

2009-08-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

We were unworthy of you.

The sun and the wind,

the cool cast by a crooked elm

in swealter,

the bee spinning in a yellow hibiscus

they all knew.

And we are left to ponder our selfish selves

but one cannot ponder long,

on bountiful ground.

All Things Nice

2009-08-10T21:48:00.001-07:00

Nancy bought a vintage dress
it cost her two weeks' pay
She snuck it through the front door
and hid it well away.
Well hubby's always worried
about the careless way
she handles all their savings
now he's prematurely grey.
There was no occasion
no lavish, rich soiree
her life was always work, work, work
and never any play
The frocks in Nancy's closet
never see the light of day
They hang amidst the camphor
their tags still on display.
But despite her busy lifestyle
despite that old cliche,
being dressed up with nowhere to go
was for Nancy, still ok.
She loved her vintage dresses
her style was her forte,
for some it may be art or wine,
antiques or a sporty coupe.

Well what Nancy's trying to tell you

What Nancy wants to say

is that silk and lace and taffeta

are part of a girl's DNA

The Odd Couple

2009-08-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

Her brain is Felix

Her body is Oscar

Remnants

2009-08-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

Her dolls are getting dusty

her pony with the purple mane

shares a cluttered, sticky drawer

where glitter gathers in the corners

and crayons scatter like roaches

I found a picture of a rainbow

Cats on mats and butterflies

There's an origami frog or two

and several, naked Barbies

that look like ageing porn stars

Visionary

2009-08-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

He sculpts heads and busts

with aluminium foil

he says he'll move on to marble

in a couple of years.

Slight and Ugly

2009-08-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

Her ample flesh conceals

her truest nature

and her righteousness falls away

with every pound.

Now she is beautiful

yet never more ugly.

By any other Name

2009-08-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

She prefers the sound of her name

when it's mispronounced

Modern Man

2009-08-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

He took her

to the Museum of Modern Art.

Afterwards, she took him shopping

as a punishment,

but he didn't seem to mind.

Cat's Eye View

2009-08-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

My cats are always fighting

for the window seat

Wrong Move

2009-08-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

Tom thought his chances

for going out on a second date

with Mirabelle

were very high

until he ordered a cappuccino

after dinner.