poetry – Page 8

Rainy Afternoon

Fatigue has found me
Through my resting elbow and
my head on my hand

A letter entered the letterbox.
A crisp envelope of ivory with
Parchment-thick paper dated today.

Good news, Kerree, your time has now come.
Afraid, I turn the letter over to see
the title, ‘Making death easier’.

Gathering thoughts seems to surround me.
Further down, the words read, ‘Activate Today’
with several graphic diagrams.

A knock at the door scares the old cats.

The man says, ‘Hello, there has been a
clerical error. Your death isn’t required.’
I return the letter steadily.

Pollen in the air
aching for Melbourne Cup Day
despite the races
Oh, joyous! A long weekend
It is Halloween for some

wind moves the branches
fast asleep in the lush leaves
a stirring approach
eyes open slowly to see
a ray of light from somewhere

the mud of autumn
mixed with the bodies of the
dead and the dying
An ill-fated day for the
brave men of the Wolf Argent

As an experiment, she decided to work, watch, and wait.

An unwelcoming vibe initially felt like overthinking, until the gossipy clique started talking about the person who occupied her seat.

A long line of Lawyers shared her seat, so she worked, showed kindness, and was never nice.

A new morning, the same routine to the car
The way work creeps into your life
From a few hours overtime to living to work

Your cats grow older and older each day
The plants become used to surviving alone
The house learns to live without your life

cold pastel colours
the heliacal rising
a quiet morning

that rust-red planet
from the moment he could walk
Mars was once his home

unable to sleep
watching the stars and the sky
longing to return

Sky Man, a Martian
with a soul made of red earth
longing for something

The waning fire smoulders
They gather in the distance
voices from another time

deep shapes move towards the fire
shapeshifting metamorphoses
gather strength outside the circle

waves of gooseflesh stir the spirit
light and drums beat in the distance
from the cursed forest cathedral