Absence (2006)

Since you left I’ve traded cruise control
for working on the case (Wittgenstein: “the world
is everything that is the case”).

It’s not so hard,
keeping out of trouble. Got friends queuing to keep me out of it.

Cruising St Kilda streets for a skanky dayglo fixup
is not an option, except in fiction. I don’t need a fix;
need a reinvention.

I could head to some seedy basement bookstore,
look at pink
for an hour. But even that I’d see as morbid infidelity.

Fact is, you don’t get these strings attached from talk alone. You have to do something
with your body, like what we’ve done down in the bunker,
while bombs whistled & jolted above. Once you’ve repaired one
another it’s all over,
and the strings begin. And let's face it,

I love your strings.

veil somehow (1998)

Here and there who and each....... veil somehow................ to hear
........................... would speak........ slowly
..........strangely right...................... is the other................................ knows my body
like a word...... which we don't understand......................... next to................ the city
........................................ clothes on..... fabric.... tongues................... and shellshock
over................... the................... grey sky................... mystery................ that is taking up
the air.

....................................... Residue............................ clusters of others'.............. faces
............................. windows steamed... up................. rolling up...... in the parking lot
........ while an old man........... standing................... sings................ for breakfast.... and
rain.... song..... along the side........... of supermarket............ trolley traffic... coming
and going...... squeaking..... clouds up there............... moving slowly........ first drops
............. old man standing....... and where are................ we..... running.................. to
the bus........... get away...... from rain.......... singing old man........... foggy windows
....... supermarket..... grey sky........ mystery.

......................... Small children......... like them.............. I don't sometimes
............. I guess I do............ there is no................ difference...... we argue... it's
raining.............. now........... a.......................... lot................................... too much
heating too hot..... on this bus................... every bus......... you know me better
...... when I'm... not.................... in this............. place.............. on a............. bus
state... of mind... it's
....... just that...... no it is......... only that..... a..... good reason......... to not
be
......... myself don't you know...... here and there...... I'm not myself... yet it
does
...... veil somehow......... make sense.... to hear this..... somehow......... would speak
slowly but I am........... shut in the rain.... rain is fast.... I'm shut......... don't ask me
that.......... yes, and shellshock.......... what grey mystery........ taking up the air.

.................... Rain down windows......... it's always rain.................. down
windows
................ as................ far as I see..... when it's rain... it's down windows... not that either
........................... what you want me to............... speak to you... okay... concrete and rain
and........ buses and kids.......... and mothers........ and this is what I'm seeing so I'm saying
sorry
look, I don't know......... is it? ............. well you speak something.......... some other way
I'm
.................. looking............. out the window......... if you want to talk, .......... talk..... but only
if you listen........ I'm listening..... looking.... thinking....... what's the problem I'm not
myself

...... Veil somehow..... cover......... over.... somehow you don't know....... this is
how I am
.. when I'm shut.......... what's shut got to do with.......... it....... the rain.......... this place
state..... of mind....... is a.... veil somehow.......... in between....... home and the city.

Counting fingers............ understanding the grey... sky........ you've got to... make time for
........... rain.... not for rain......... for me... got to veil.... somehow......... don't disagree
about................. the sky.............. strangely right................ like a word
............. we don't understand.................... the
sky......... veil somehow....................... can't cover.......... the sky........... somehow veil
to hear............... the word............. that is taking............. up the air........ from small children
and buses
and an old man singing....................... for breakfast... and rain down................ windows.


As published in Voiceworks, Issue # 32, 1998

powerup (2006)

Got to grab this
powerup / needed
for the next
level

to defeat
the bigboss /

then drive deep
south get away
become invisible
, etc.

My reflexes
primed
need this
powerup real
bad / need

the heavier
firepower
'gainst this
world need the
higher leap. I'm

feeling lucky
let me ride
the rising bubble
reach those higher
platforms. Need

to pick up some
more chiming gold
need a health
pack need

an antenna
to pick up signals /
broadcast into
my bloodstream.
Once I hit the

highscore
can forget lost lives
can sleep dead forever
in secret level /
pixel heaven.