The Lie

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

Curse you numbers!

Look what you've done

You've killed my pretty words

1 by 1

Be Gone

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

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

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

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)

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

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

One too Many

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

The warmest shadows

exist only

beneath my coat

And with your body

closer

We'll cast more warm and dark shadows

Casuarina Casualty

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

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

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

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

Blue Beret

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.

Carousel

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

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

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

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

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!

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

The Starving Magician

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

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

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

Crab Apple Tree

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

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

I watched Pretty in Pink

and developed a sudden longing

for unrequited love

Second Skin

If this body had a zip

I would slip

right out of it

Forever Young

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

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

His love is like a heavy coat in winter

She likes the warmth

but not the weight

Adirondack

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

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

He's like wearing

a pair of comfortable, old shoes.

But she yearns

to walk barefoot

Private Function

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

Hey Mr Pelican

why the grey feet?

It looks like you're wearing cheap shoes

that vanish on concrete.

The Great Nifty Mable

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

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

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.

May Afternoon

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.

Premier Baiser

She's never kissed the same boy twice

She never met a boy

she wanted to kiss

more than once

Bumblebee

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

The Bloody Hands of Time

You have the blood of billions

on your hands.

But you get away with it,

every

time.

Ode to Incontinence

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.

Sand and Tutus

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

Off His Chest

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.

All Things Nice

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

Her brain is Felix

Her body is Oscar

Remnants

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

Black and Blue Girl

BLACK, BLACK,

BLACK.

BLUE, BLUE,

BLUE.

These are the colours

he liked on you.

Most girls your age,

most girls that are two

wear a lot of pink

Not black and blue.