i. Australian English
The water
we drink from the tap
is the same
warder
who keeps us all jailed —
in drought.
ii. Balancing Act
The body understands
first hand the gravity
of its position.
iii. Intent …
Do you know
what the last word
of your sentence will be
when you open your mouth
to speak?
iv. Her Clumsiness
Like fingers fallen
into the wrong hands.
v. His Sweatheart
The sweat stain
on the back of his green T-shirt —
an almost perfect
heart.
vi. Another Beautiful Loser
Only the rain
knows how to celebrate
its downfall.
vii. Dangerman
I see the crashes
up and down the scarparks
of his arms.
viii. Negative Growth (After Adam Zagajewski)
In the car park
cigarette butts grow,
not daisies.
ix. Sonic Simile
The drip of a tap:
a blind woman’s stick
on bone-dry footpaths.
x. False Generosity
Like a dead battery,
free of charge.
xi. Beneath Agitation Hill
White faces in a wet tent.
They flinch in the rain
at a painted face,
a red head-band, the glimpse
of a spear. Feel them flinch
in their trenches,
the chill thought
of gold behind them —living, steadying.
xii. Loyalty
Do sunflowers
turn their heads
from a full moon?
xiii. That Girl’s Clear Eyes
for Tiara
You outstare skies
with those
wideopen
video eyes.
Simon Patton
Thirteen Swifties
1 May 2017