‘All habits are tinged with sadness, / for being habits.’ Paul Theroux During pre-dawn silence, no longer part of noisy families, greeting another day released from night’s hobgoblin dreams, he reads mostly depressing news with derivative sub-headings. He tackles delivered … Continue reading
‘Chris’, hippie appearance, sorrowful eyes Another life story at the AAmeeting. He began with the gulliblestepfather, the mother’s fantasies, then we heard about his unseen real father’sdominance, his adolescent interestin the spiritual life, his scorn for hire purchase, his qualities … Continue reading
Sounds, ship and sea-formed, rigging’s creaks and groans, the rush of bow-split water a hiss of displeasure, they pursue fate, jettisoned provisions a sore loss. After Tenerife, starless but dry, no rainfall since approaching the equator when the cursed pumpkins … Continue reading
Lost He lost the land of his birth’s winter snow,lost heart-throbbed life fragments morphed into dreams,lost his family that day long ago,a desertion scarring his self-esteem,stony heart cracked, future free as the sky.He lost chance opportunities, too few,cherished keepsakes, old … Continue reading
We moved into a house within the grounds of a psychiatric hospital where the fine Australian poet, Francis Webb, was incarcerated many years earlier in rural NSW, its streets bordered by majestic European trees. My wife had accepted a key … Continue reading
Epilogue Walking in early light, wetlands a short drive from home, where, like the rest of the world, all is quietly closing due to this ravening plague, part of my way parallel to a usually busy highway. I think of … Continue reading
The breeze releases Ceris’s hair. It tumbles down her back as the artificial wind subsides. Trains vanish into the miasma of tunnels and eyes adjust to a world not ruled by sex, absinthe and narcotics. Her world is private. … Continue reading
Chapter 2 Moving forward, I want my disease to be my companion,so she can help me write my canon. Eclipse I borrowed the eyes of an eclipse,to wink Eden under the table, I saw a secret, which is to say … Continue reading
Spiced lentil soup I am in awe when Marie video calls me. She lives about four hours away in the car. Yesterday, she showed me the old trees in the deer park. The gnarly oaks have been there far longer … Continue reading
Carrot Cake The chiropractor asked if we are married. Marie said we weren’t. I smiled as I was able to remind Marie about her past medical history. “I’m not interrupting, am I?” Marie laughed despite her back ache. Afterwards, she … Continue reading