I resign to live another life:
to come undone, to walk the night.

Local war veteran escapes arson attack

It’s easy to be seduced by the Irish – those genial, avuncular lovers of a tipple and the masters of blarney.

A week after we met, Cassie moved in.

The yellowed light filtering through the voile
spoke of a pending storm and promised rainbows.

“A hundred questions”, she challenged,
knowing full well I was too competitive
to retreat.

Words are my children: born of me and with similar
demands for attention and immediacy.

I saw you today -
everyday woman with shopping bag -
craning your neck to see
what the excitement was about.

A whispered word,
drifting on the breeze.
A forgotten scent,
yesterday's melody -
all triggers to cause
the image of now to freeze,
then blink for a second
before fleeing
(flickety, flickety, flickety)
backwards to a monochrome
past point of resonance.

So, friend, where were we? Oh yeah, Cassie.

“I like to be on top”, were the first words she said to me.

I received a gift from a stranger this morning.

With roof-tiles ticking quietly,
and the heat fading with a quiet sigh,
notes from a distant piano skipped
with kindergarten steps
across the shadows, crisp and dry.