preparing to travel to New Zealand

preparing for my journey to New Zealand, i am re-reading 'Backroads' by Sam Hunt
and looking at
paintings by Colin McCahon & Doris Lusk
Ralph Hotere

going through my notes
of time passed there in times past

rummaging in notebooks i find this sketch
made with pencil at Te Papa museum [no cameras allowed]
and later embellished with watercolour
while taking coffee at Midnight Expresso
up on Cuba Street [Wellington]
the colours far wilder than the original

and then i make a few other notes. a bit closer to home.




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CLOUDLAND, OR SMOKE ALARM

I’m not yet quite sure which.

LONG BEFORE PA FORGOT REMEMBRANCE

HE MADE THE CHOICE TO LOOK AWAY

NOW HE WANDERS, SMOKE AND MIRRORS

ASKS MY MOTHER IF I AM RELATED TO HER

NOTICING THAT WE LOOK LIKE PEBBLES OR

SOME DAISIES IN THE GRASS

PERHAPS TWO PLASTIC BAGS

BLOWING IN ON THE BREEZE

ON HIS BIRTHDAY I TOOK A CAKE

TO THE CELL HE NOW INHABITS, MONASTICALLY TIDY

ONE SHOE, A TOOTHBRUSH AND A VIEW INTO TREES

A PHOTO OF MY BROTHER

THEY WOULDN’T LET ME BURN THE CANDLES

INSUFFICIENT CAKE TO FEED THE FIREMEN WHO WOULD COME

RUNNING, CALLED BY RINGING BELLS

NOW PREPARING FOR A JOURNEY TO

CLOUDY ISLANDS EAST OF HERE

I READ BY THE SMOKE OF RESIN

GATHERED ON A WESTERN COAST

CYPRESS FOG DRIFTS ACROSS THE PAGE

GOOD THING I GUTTED THE SMOKE ALARM

December 27, 2012