#braided
(In memory of Norris Hickey 1935-2014)
Love of family and fly-fishing: twin tributaries flowed
into your heart like a braided river.
Paradoxically, a sociable man who preferred to be alone
on some braided river,
basking in the peace of the wilderness,
hearing only birdsong and the gentle whirr of the fly line,
its nylon whipping to where you hoped the fish would rise.
Patience comes easily in peaceful surroundings,
unlike waiting for the blessing of grandchildren.
Eventually rewarded with five blessings.
You always said what a lucky man you were.
I’m glad your luck held because you would weep to see
your precious braided rivers drying up down here,
****** dry by the farmers’ greed for white gold
and the threatened tarāpunga (Black-billed gulls)
getting their nests crushed by callous four-wheel drives.
It would be enough to make your big, generous heart burst.
© Andrew M. Bell
May 15, 2022
May 15, 2022 at 12:41 AM UTC
Staring in a mirror. Again
It makes me feel worse just to see
I braided my hair so neatly
Now it's falling apart at the seams
There's a comparison there
Let's not look into it
If I stick pins in
Tie up all the loose ends again
It'll look neater, sure
As long as you don't look too close
Cause there's a glittering metal barricade
Of a halfhearted hairstyle I tried to save
Jun 15, 2021
Jun 15, 2021 at 11:08 AM UTC
now who sold out
yours or mine
they flip
for
it
she landed on her head
he laughed
she made him fall off the latter
she hit him
with ***** words
he hurt feelings falling
the squirrels scratched
thier nests cracking
thier pirate loot
***** change
through
seas
rage
find me breadth
find me
leave me alone now
who sold
out
?
...
..
.
Mar 2, 2018
Mar 2, 2018 at 10:33 PM UTC