north and south to Canberra
heads sway
laughing at
the turbulence
Sydney airport
a huge Maori fella walks through
whistling Greensleeves
terminal
two men in green jackets
gesticulate wildly
the girl on the bus
combing
her mother’s hair
a picture of a truck
beside the endless
highway
an old car
in a paddock . . .
my sense of relief
Canberra’s bird people
splashed liberally
with bird droppings
a student
with duck tape
patching his knees
mall
I don’t know what
the T-shirt means
birds
like children
sighing
looks at his watch twice
as he crosses the road
suburb
a two-humped camel
painted on a front door
suburb, Torbay
in the space
between others
lemon trees
pongas, fantails
hibiscus, succulents
wash racks
peg bag
hand made
by Grannie
the deck is drying
someone plucks a ukulele
a hedge-trimmer roars
the neighbour’s bowl sings
as it hits the floor