Up Cliff Road I go
steep and taxing beyond compare
Cliff's only claim to fame
is giving a name to this incline
At Cliff's apex I'm at the peak of my endurance
The resident monkeys swing across the branches
This is their last stand; no more running from grasping humans
The rottweiller at the corner is itching to clamp its jaws
around a hairy monkey thigh, but it won't be
Mike the monkey is a survivor even with half his tail gone
I turn right and down the road I go; Simpson Road:
this is the green and leafy part of town; the sprinklers are running
and heavy duty generators are whirring
These mansions are meant for comfort and effect
and the people here have money to spare but never do
Nobody talks audibly here; it's uncivilized to broadcast your conversations
I walk on past the heap of imported top soil -
someone here means to get someone to toil
to create a monumental fad to make posterity eat its heart out
The birds are whistling outdoor tunes, generic as always
There's a grumpy old timer by the corner, but today I'm not in the mood
for his nausea and his nostalgia; everything is disgusting
and nothing measures up anymore
Retracing my steps I go back up Simpson Road
and turn left into Cliff Road where the sight of the jacaranda blooms
is like a breathtaking sight of purple showers of rain
I'll walk this lane again and again till I am sated