inhabitant of a foggy coastof shifting tide beginnings and ends undefined –were you here that day long-leggedred beaked on the beach –were you here that day the boats camefloating upturned whalesriding the waves we camewere you here.were you here that day the world changedtree by tree the world fell and changedand you ran with the…
i offer no illusionlast night the hen house was raided.opened the door to a mess offeathers and blood this morning,all of them gone. nothing of the spotted hen but her liverlicked clean on some star splashed quills.the rooster dead and whole in the middle of it all,too big to be carried into the night. and…
orientation lying in my bedlistening for the sunrisemy feet stretch northwarming my toes on the equator.right ear to the morning,left to the setting sun,my hair drifts southwards –tidal swirlings on an infinite sea. arms spreading east and westform the coastal beltouteniqua tstitsikama langeberg kougamountainous names that follow curvespeak in breasts with armpit valleysand soft catchments…
there is a cottageat the edgeof the woodsin it lives a womana woman a woman,more.it lives in womenthe cottageat the edgeof the woods. the herbs that hang from the raftersbunches of mpephu and nettleand tulsi, the roses that growa blood thorned tangleswoon sweet andspread on october cloths to dry,the bottled elder turnedby the light of…
between closing the gateon new planted bedslate evening – winter cold,and heading insideto close up the house,snap kindling, light a fire. between tree silhouettesand golding skythe way opensinto forest – and who knew who knowsthe paths taken the limbs touchedskin to bark- who knows the trunksleaned on in the quiet.who but the bird watchedshadows among…
so long so longsince i have been heredipping into this icy lake uncoloured morningslippered and blanket wrappedfor the cold coldthat sits at the base of the spine where the donkey was nail beat years agoon a red dust road in the sunmake-shift harnessed to a scrap cartgoing nowhere same low curve back where the needleswere…
we walk amongst the bones here. early rain has sprouted greenalong the path and buds drink swell waitto burst drunkenly into bloom human calcaneous and soft ball jointsfind footing on jutting mountain bones –sandstone knees and elbows –scapular, like a blade,like a contour, like a cliff,granite sternum and ribsto protect the heartbeating still – hips…
still now,with morningsspeaking in dragon breathand prophetic tonguesof shortening daysand the cold that comesthat comes –still nowthe birds proclaim the day,call clear bluehorizon to horizonwhile singing autumn songs,gorging themselveson fruit full ripe andsweet with sunlight gatheredand grown to seed.
1.in shades of green and greythe ocean spoke the coming stormwhile breakers tossed ice-whispsagainst the tide. double socked andbraced to the windwe face that cloud stacked horizonand give thanks for the rainthe rainthe rain that comesand those who returnwith the snap cold turnof seasons. 2.by 1750 the north atlantic right whalewas as good as extinct…
it is hard to see in the darknessof these days, morning sunbright shadowed on heatherand grass thick dewed.it is hard to see. it is hard to rememberwho spewed what hateat which fractured pieceof humanity first – who threatened,divided,ate power made of discord. it is a dark shorethese morning wavesbreak on.it is hard to see but…