Absence of rapids on Ngakawau stream.
Big Ditch and Little Ditch Creek - impious hand bisects the 'D.'
Cobweb of raindrops in dragon sun.
"Down, down, down from the high Sierras ...."
Electrical storms: intensity of affect.
Fund-raising at the Fire Depot.
Grey & white kitten, black robin, and black fantail.
Huffing into an Atlas stove.
"If you can see the hills, it's going to rain."
Jack said: "A succession of inner landscapes."
Kiwis peck through sphagnum moss.
Leicester said: "A community devoted to male play."
Millerton speaks - A Cannabis Landslide.
Nature tips - gorse is choked by bush.
Other landrovers get one wave.
Proud grey donkey; manure in a sack.
Quarrelling over the Fire Service.
"Rain has a persistency of grades, much noted by the locals."
Siren: "I'm always free on Wednesday nights."
Twin side-logs set for smoke-alarms.
Utopia St, Calliope Rd.
Village hall stained with camouflage paint.
White-packaged videos, too frank a stare.
X of three rocks marks one rare tussock.
"You have to say: Great! Awesome! Choice!"
668 - Neighbour of the Beast.
The only time we ever called the police
on one of our noisy neighbours
it was Howard
his mother had just been taken away
to the hospice where she died
and he was sad
(or so he told us later)
he sat in the front room
drinking beer
and started to howl
whilst playing Led Zeppelin
louder and louder
by 2 am we'd had enough
we began to worry
he'd top himself
or so we rationalised it
the fuzz turned up in force
we heard them knocking first
then going round all the doors
finally they broke in
cuffed him
and took him off to jail
a few days later
a week or so before he left for good
Bronwyn met him by the clothesline
Don't they understand being sad?
he said
One of the neighbours called the cops on me!
I still feel ashamed
we couldn't admit
it was us
Poems © Jack Ross 2014