Winter haikus
Morning frost,
clear sunrise: the white cedar
sheds its leaves
Rising sun flickers
through the pine trees like a strobe:
gilds the frozen leaves
A cold mist rises
from the valley like anguish
lifting from my heart
Even the gum tree
shrouded in mist cannot hide
the sun’s milky glow
Layers of colour
pour into the dawn like strokes
of a painter’s brush
A cold night, a heart
brittle as flint; at my feet
two dogs twitch and snore
Chasing the sunset
on the West Preston tram:
orange merges with grey
Glass towers shining
Like polished gold reflecting
Winter’s dying rays
Ten past six, first light:
above the sleepless city
the wattlebird sings
Whatever the waves
and the mountains won’t teach you
is not worth knowing
