At the Family Gathering

I never knew this old man well,
but two years ago when we all met
for that particular Christmas,
he greeted me warmly.

This year he is blank, until his niece
tells him my name. Then a frail voice
recalls, with a questioning note,
the name of my late ex-husband.

Young Woman on a Tram

She almost flounces on board,
short skirt swirling her into her seat.
Dark hair and eyes, smooth golden skin ...
but the eyes glare, and the set
of the full, curvaceous lips
looks menacing.

This Notebook I'm Using

My adopted brother
gave me this book
almost three years ago
on the first of January.

The paper was made from bark
in western Nepal, by an ancient method.
It will last a long time.

On the cover is a mandala,
symbol of impermanence.

I record in it moments of life.

Buddha Confronts Me

The eyes of the Buddha
gleam green from the page,
inked in elaborate whorls.
The perfect curves of the brows
seem to add intense focus.
The nose can be perceived
as the shape of a question-mark.
'Examine yourself!' I think he says.
But the rest of the face is missing.
I let myself visualise a secret smile.

ANNOUNCEMENT: New e-book

Oh, I am madly excited!!! My poetry collection, SECRET LEOPARD: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS 1974-2005, has just been reissued as an ebook, via my favourite publisher Content X Design. (Thank you, Delaina and Kristin!) 

 You can get it for only $2.99 USD in whatever format suits you (mobi for Kindle, epub for other e-readers or pdf for your computer). 

 Lots of wonderful poems, if I do say so myself :) and you won't find them on my blog! 

(There are still a VERY few paperback copies left which I am now selling for $10 USD — and to Aussies $10 AUD — plus postage. You'll have to message me if you want one of them.) 

Here is the link to the ebook.

My cat sleeps

my cat sleeps well

on the couch beside me

I am safety

They cascade

they cascade

warm orange bright gold

down the vase

spilling fresh fragrance 
my friend's nasturtiums

Mystery Unsolved

I step outside 

to the immediate strong smell of smoke

but none to see.

Clear blue skies in every direction

are interrupted 

by the tops of hills and mountains.

The quiet street

is undisturbed.

When I step back inside the smell is gone.

(I could get in my car and go hunting

but there's coffee here

and a book to read.)

On Sphinx Rock

On Sphinx Rock 

sunlight catches 

two jutting crags.

Against the dark mass 

of head-shaped scrub

they gleam like fangs.