aged famous rockers tour the world
I explain to the homeless man outside our supermarket
by a tree which serves to hold shopping trollies back
(some wander in high winds as steel renegades across traffic)
he wanted to know any news
so I spoke and pretended I didn't remember him
stood downwind to avoid the stench of his ancient unwashed denims
we loaded my groceries into the car boot together
while I talked and he listened as if we'd married
stayed in the same house for reasons of children and accounting
stopped any demands for obedience to each other's rules
but I knew his name and how he liked ice cream
a little melted and yet some still firm
my feelings also thawed enough to take time
clocks understand desserts and good conversation require a lull
but he tried to tell me I was his last hope then
as if we'd unwittingly signed up for a soppy TV movie
and soon his buddy whispered to him 'he'd told him so'
they shambled away in late afternoon gold with leaves falling
I wondered for a few minutes what could've been if I'd chosen him
instead of the vampire with good map reading skills
who knew how to sneak into my room at night
to sit with his smile for a brain and wait
for my eyes to open then conditioning to polish my reaction
over and over again the same secret known observer a fright
a media man in leather without a pen
but he drew fanatsies with perfect recall in black and white
so clean these bare stories in the wind and rain
what various weather brings us with different temperatures
Tall Poppy Ph D (One)
“Thrasybulus had counselled him to slay
those of his townsmen who were outstanding
in influence or ability; with that he began to deal
with his citizens in an evil manner.” 27 – 25 BC Livy's History of Rome Book I
found the tall poppies you gave me this spring
pressed under a pile of dictionaries and atlases
skirts flung to the sky on their hairy stems
we placed them in a vase for my book launch
since we found a way to escape beheading
surrendered to underground shade and tunnels
the other harvest's regular and evenly grows
selected for their willingness or a bent to conform
congratulations slice clearly so everyone can hear
a PhD Tall Poppy presses flowers between poetry pages
this doctorate based on kindness to oneself and avoiding scissors
while beauty or talent may be flaunted in some living fields
a license to smile and say 'Greetings old punks and new funk
sweet dreams all you lovers and others
tomorrow awaits and we've only got our lives, darlings'
