a smile is a lifeboat
crashing against the lighthouse winds on a day that auckland drowned
emma’s crown and palm trees
a smile sweetens my milk
as i chomp on the beef
a long city left behind
a small town still to call my name

on an orange floor made me realise
how lonely i was
and she was wearing her maroon jacket
how lovely she was

remember that hug in cuba outside the farm and million lights came to spark
i was the political poet and you the busy activist i went to the tibet rally
and somewhere it slowed down
for over a week you have million friends
as ships look set for picton
and northerlies blew first on park bench
under the aluminium globe
it was love
and at ten burger king was disturbed

kept tearing at auckland
wellington and greens and leaves and moisture on sunday windows

mom thought it was okay if i drew
and kachori felt it was good
but i coated the square boxes
and made cartoons out of my parents
and learned how to draw a shoe
mom smiled

the wise owl sat in class IV
a few pages before arthur pulled
his sword and merlin watched
in ink

and you
wanted to collect my little pictures of parrots and roses bathed in crAyon
as i rushed through santa cruz plane garden post office
in feb 1993
long ago

today your car is stuck in bombay rains after a week of distraught Caesarian nights
we walked this streets you know to the edge that showed skyscrapers reflecting in mosquito rivers
under dark yellow lights we spoke of her
who never returned
through those dark friendly streets
its that time again
you have a son
but everything else has changed
like the 11th road
and the dark wooden door that had garden on the otherside
i had kissed her there

green river

under blue grey clouds

flows

bull dog with the green eyes

leaks feminine eye pods

nothing happens

as yet another day rolls by

winds blow the small duck waves

a something stirred
in the quiet moon night
as waves spoke a silent tangi rain song

and something moved
it was neither chooky nor me
nor a hone's freedom poem

we were safe that night
on the northshore beach