We are walking daily now. We are stepping out at the inter-
section of Cape & Brown where a bristling fir tree is
scrubbing tense from the sky. Presently I’ve never seen
so many walkers, so many dogs on leashes and sun-glossedpuffer jackets swimming in autumn’s glare. My son
in a stroller, bald head capped in out-of-season sunhat,
sporty in white-and-navy stars. My daughter on foot,
hopping and idling by pink-hearted daisies.In the allotted hour, the cones of the fir tree—once
slim green hats—fatten into brown globes, expansive
as eyes. Like reverse fireworks, a flock of cockatoos
descend from the sky to plunder the woody scales,shred spiked branches. Fanned bracts over blue-
toned pavement where we begin our morning walk
and needles rain down upon the heads of passers-by.
We are walking and I am scanning footpathsfor trip hazards, driveways for reversing cars. Leathery,
dogbane oleander leaves. Chalk-coated berries
appealing in purple skin. Prepped for danger—
future’s proof in the quality of my attention.Uncertainty is unbearable until I take it out for a walk.
Like a dog I am showing it a garden of artificial grass.
Next a garden of satiny acanthus. Variegated lawns.
Vegetable patches scrabbled with herbs, starred lettucehearts, Italianate latticework. Everything a threat.
Everything real and growing sideways. Our neighbour’s
fir tree so close to the house that its branches press
the fringed glass like a heartsick giant looking in.Avoiding people, their radial breath and quilted jackets
exhaling on the verge. I want to be a myna marking
territory with plumed fisticuffs, rinsing air with song. I eye
my intention. Bare teeth beneath non-woven fabric.Wearing a mask I can still taste cold and sweet. Last year
is over. The year before last is over, is returning now
in streets that curve like wood after years at sea. At the peak
of Hawdon, the vista spans the Mercy—crossed,brushed white—where my children were lifted from me
in blue-lit clouds of relief. Year of the ground glass
lung. We are grinding scales and bracts beneath our boots.
We are watching a magpie come to rest on the branchof a tall candlebark, honeycomb a sweet tune. Next year
a truck will misread the road and reverse into this tree,
splitting its trunk like parting the earth. A man will be
trapped beneath a halo of muted leaves while the driversits wailing on the curb. The driver is wrapping his arms
around his torso as if he is shattered timber. We watch
the splinters rain down upon the heads of passers-by.
The streetscape is changing again. We intrude like thoughts,plant the wrong things. Vines imperil saplings. Dog-like,
I detect menace beyond a fenceline. Beginning at
the fir tree which shakes its sharp eyes, gathers its birds,
we are walking the street we will walk again.
- 115: SPACE
with A Sometimes
114: NO THEME 13
with J Toledo & C Tse
113: INVISIBLE WALLS
with A Walker & D Disney
112: TREAT
with T Dearborn
111: BABY
with S Deo & L Ferney
110: POP!
with Z Frost & B Jessen
109: NO THEME 12
with C Maling & N Rhook
108: DEDICATION
with L Patterson & L Garcia-Dolnik
107: LIMINAL
with B Li
106: OPEN
with C Lowe & J Langdon
105: NO THEME 11
with E Grills & E Stewart
104: KIN
with E Shiosaki
103: AMBLE
with E Gomez and S Gory
102: GAME
with R Green and J Maxwell
101: NO THEME 10
with J Kinsella and J Leanne
100: BROWNFACE
with W S Dunn
99: SINGAPORE
with J Ip and A Pang
97 & 98: PROPAGANDA
with M Breeze and S Groth
96: NO THEME IX
with M Gill and J Thayil
95: EARTH
with M Takolander
94: BAYT
with Z Hashem Beck
93: PEACH
with L Van, G Mouratidis, L Toong
92: NO THEME VIII
with C Gaskin
91: MONSTER
with N Curnow
90: AFRICAN DIASPORA
with S Umar
89: DOMESTIC
with N Harkin
88: TRANSQUEER
with S Barnes and Q Eades
87: DIFFICULT
with O Schwartz & H Isemonger
86: NO THEME VII
with L Gorton
85: PHILIPPINES
with Mookie L and S Lua
84: SUBURBIA
with L Brown and N O'Reilly
83: MATHEMATICS
with F Hile
82: LAND
with J Stuart and J Gibian
81: NEW CARIBBEAN
with V Lucien
80: NO THEME VI
with J Beveridge
57.1: EKPHRASTIC
with C Atherton and P Hetherington
57: CONFESSION
with K Glastonbury
56: EXPLODE
with D Disney
55.1: DALIT / INDIGENOUS
with M Chakraborty and K MacCarter
55: FUTURE MACHINES
with Bella Li
54: NO THEME V
with F Wright and O Sakr
53.0: THE END
with P Brown
52.0: TOIL
with C Jenkins
51.1: UMAMI
with L Davies and Lifted Brow
51.0: TRANSTASMAN
with B Cassidy
50.0: NO THEME IV
with J Tranter
49.1: A BRITISH / IRISH
with M Hall and S Seita
49.0: OBSOLETE
with T Ryan
48.1: CANADA
with K MacCarter and S Rhodes
48.0: CONSTRAINT
with C Wakeling
47.0: COLLABORATION
with L Armand and H Lambert
46.1: MELBOURNE
with M Farrell
46.0: NO THEME III
with F Plunkett
45.0: SILENCE
with J Owen
44.0: GONDWANALAND
with D Motion
43.1: PUMPKIN
with K MacCarter
43.0: MASQUE
with A Vickery
42.0: NO THEME II
with G Ryan
41.1: RATBAGGERY
with D Hose
41.0: TRANSPACIFIC
with J Rowe and M Nardone
40.1: INDONESIA
with K MacCarter
40.0: INTERLOCUTOR
with L Hart
39.1: GIBBERBIRD
with S Gory
39.0: JACKPOT!
with S Wagan Watson
38.0: SYDNEY
with A Lorange
37.1: NEBRASKA
with S Whalen
37.0: NO THEME!
with A Wearne
36.0: ELECTRONICA
with J Jones