Remembrances of the Light

The southerly that had just reached Timaru

as we were leaving

has followed us north to this valley.

Whitened slopes beneath Lion’s Head.

A thrush is ‘thripping’ in the ‘Zen Garden’.

*

The coral-bark maple,

bent over with rain and melted snow,

almost forming a green starry arch…

*

The snow has gone but the headaches return.

*

Her pudgy hand reaching out of the blanket

touching yours,

he dances with the gulls

at Caroline Bay,

I drink tea with sugar on the black mossy pavers,

you read, leaning forward, in the sunroom…

And we both get headaches

returning to this house.

*

The body zips up pain.

*

Late sunlight on the Pass,

oak leaves glinting and waving

in the breeze.

*

The same light, multiplied and indivisible,

in this great, murmuring pool.

*

“The wait is three hours”, she says,

projecting her strong voice.

A name is called. “That’s my name!”,

says the woman, in a quiet, excited voice,

wearing red crocs with jibbitz, beside me.

*

Six weeks of school holidays at Christmas,

six weeks for the term breaks

in April, July, and September,

two weeks plus

for sick days, hospital visits,

Waitangi, Anzac, King’s birthday observed…

We patch it on the go

from savings that don’t exist.

*

Convolvulus spinning  

around the rosemary.

*

I keep thinking of the young couple

outside the pharmacy, last night.

He kissed her, lovingly,

and she went in by herself.

*

In 1891, Caroline Stephen writes:

…before we can hope

to enter into that intimate and blessed communion

which transfigures all life,

two great conditions must be met.

We must have settled it in our hearts

that everything, from the least to the greatest,

is to be taken as His language -

and we must be willing

to face all pain…

*

Why is Gen Z obsessed with Crocs?

“I like how you can put them into sport mode,

so you can like, run, and just also wear them leisurely,”

Russo said. Pricing and comfort are the biggest reasons

why Russo’s age group loves Crocs.

*

“Is “bunny” another name for a rabbit?

I always think of the hares being maj-es-tic”,

he says, lifting his arms

to indicate ears, while putting away dishes.

Two “bunnies” on our land.

One under the shed.

The dog goes crazy.

The other turns up dead

in Sandie’s garden.

*

The council released a “virus”

some years ago

according to K.

*

After having babies,

we found a rat’s nest

in the compost

full of blind pups.

I put them in a sack

to club them

out of sight.  

*

It takes her much longer

to get ready in the mornings,

and longer to get out of the car, at school.  

*

Stuffing tea into a small kettle.

Dawn redwood leaves at our front door.