Mid-city meditation (2007)

I take off my shoes
so the grass can imprint
abstract designs on my ankles

can't see any other meditators
in Alexandra Gardens

a precious day

sun gushing,
pooling on gemgrass;
river metallic

cars on City Rd
sounding like the ocean
(peaceful cars)

I slow
& stop thinking
for some seconds

then I remember
to take off my sunglasses

& it becomes a lot brighter
behind closed eyes

I notice this,
then revisit the breath

an easy breeze
stroking my face

I revisit the breath,
revisit the breath

until half an hour later
I hatch
from my trance-shell,

look over at my shadow,
my head made of grass

*

8pm that night
I meet Monica on the bridge

we gaze through the sci-fi city,
make new pledges,
smile out...

a 4x4 crushing
a skater's stray deck
jolts us back to the wheel


As published in The Cartier Street Review, February 2009.

Eggs & Roses - post-gig review

Thanks to everyone who made it to Eggs & Roses last Thursday. I enjoyed meeting you all, and reading my poems in an intimate setting. It's always a pleasure to read to an appreciative and friendly crowd!

Thanks to Alexis Harley and the La Trobe English department for having me. And kudos to Catherine Padmore, who also read from her fascinating novel-in-progress.

This was my set list:

Drive-thru
cashed
The Breaking
unplugged
Vipassana
A Taste of Cindy
I will not carry
Saturday, Brunswick St
apology
Self portrait (with wires, city & no clothes)

Verandah 22 Launch - update

I can now confirm that I'll be doing a reading at the launch of Verandah 22 at the Melbourne Writers' Festival. I'll be reading my poem Self portrait (with wires, city & no clothes), which is featured in the journal.

Apparently I'm also going to be presented with some kind of literary award.

As mentioned in an earlier post, this free event is happening from 2pm on Saturday the 1st of September, in the Bagging Room at the Malthouse.

surveillance (2007)

9:38am sinuses go to war

navel gazes back at me, floats
a question:
“who did this to you?”

these burns, slits, scratches
are fabulous

(eager to share)

enjoy the waiting,
skin’s self-repair

*

11:16am have erased everything
sold my guitar

tantrum in-grown

dust rushes the room

thankfully
still know all the words for food

*

12:00pm ‘life gets you
in the knees’

scratch reflex
spreading parasites

while the sun multitasks

*

5:20pm sky is boy’s & girl’s
(pink clouds stretched)

still know all the words for food

& know you from photos
(in some your face survives)

*
5:46pm was once a great lover
of books

serrated fingernails,
bleed from scratching

smell of breath mints

*

8:12pm maximum dark

eyes suck on monitor-glow

no recent updates

a joint to curl me:
night passes quickly this way

muted TV
reminds me: haven’t eaten

*

10:18pm haven’t eaten

(all these demands)

taste my teeth:
breath mints

head tilts toward kitchen

*

2:13am the flawless setup

wired, rigged
no need to rise
from keyboard

eyes unblinking,
learning you

*

2:14am frosty monochrome
intercepting your walk

(that onscreen brittleness)

& full volume
your pulse
charging the speakers

Eggs & Roses - Thursday, August 23

On Thursday the 23rd of August I'll be doing an extended reading as part of the 'Eggs & Roses' spoken word and literature series at La Trobe University's Bundoora campus.

I'll be reading my stuff (both old and new), discussing the origins of my work, and generally talking shit about the intersection of poetry, technology and madness (or something along those lines). Questions and audience interaction will be encouraged!

Eggs & Roses is running every Thursday during second semester, from 4:30pm in room 431 of the Humanities 2 building at La Trobe Bundoora Campus. A campus map is available from here.

Hope to see you there!