Ladies night at Lloyd Elsmore pool

ladies on ladies

night flow past in

a crowd of perfume

visible above the chlorine

louder than enthusiastic

music

now

Are any of you pregnant?

knees up and jump

now

the water swirls around

clockwise

hands together

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Star crossed

she isn't Juliet

quickening our lives

he no Romeo

nothing but space

and preference keep them

apart

he doesn't want

marriage she does

their life together

wrapped in black plastic

clothes condoms spice

jars wok microwave

she's gone to live

in Edinburgh

my cupboards house the time

they shared

the sweater she was

knitting him

unfinished

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two tides

bird prints

first after the clean

sweeping tide

follow the arrows

marram grips the travelling sand

pohutukawa

sinks rock-splitting roots

here

exposed dust-clotted growth

pats lightly at the wound

small human forms desert the beach

searching for food

the paddled stretch of soft blown sand

alone to the light wind

encroaching tide

I sit among

dunes peopling the evening

with irrational fear

for company

a lone sail well out

until your sudden voice

fills all space

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