Poems

These herbal sleeping pills
Just make me feel
stoned
or drunk
on green ginger wine

The full moon drew me
round the bend of the waterfront
Each step an affirmation
taking my self back
to family and food
an hour and a half’s walk away

Magnetic light strip of Ponsonby
Pulls me up Franklin by the hair of my teeth
All illumination and sparklers
this city is growing up
social bum-fluff and parading baby merchandise
name traces in the black night air

You like to laugh at those
Exposed
Treading water
Waiting
To be saved

You let go of my neck
and I flew round the room
in a flap
Blew all my air out
in a noisy flatulent panic
leaving a flaccid exclamation mark
of bright red rubber
in the corner of the floor