Black Magic

the pengawa
is the dark magic

he slips the poison
into my soul

tries to destroy me
by crushing my lungs

the nereides
join hands to protect me

they hide me in the seaweed
while neptune hurls triton

at the serpent
and drives him from the sea

the sea is my mother
the sea is your nemesis

a cool southerly is caressing
my cheek as i write this

you cannot touch me here
your black is dissolved

in the fizzy foam
of the white

Action

the assistant director calls
"Quiet Everyone...Action"

she slips immediately
into her well rehearsed role
like a second skin
ship's captain, guru
solutions manager

confidently clearing the way
of all obstacles
with strides too big for her size

this landslide performance
has been longer than the one
on Broadway
"Les Miserables"

she freezes suddenly
she can't do this anymore

without further ado
she walks off the set
out the door into the street

starts walking
walking
to anywhere or nowhere
whatever

Home

it has been far too long
i need to take that red dusty road
home
i have been carrying that missing
piece of the puzzle in my rain sodden purse
for months
time to slot it back into the picture
complete it
take the long drive
home

Real Life Toads

photo by D. Edelstein

do not move or breathe
i saw her eyelid flicker
so off with her head

For The Weekend

Mea Culpa

the tinkling of the bell
in a cold winter chapel
frosty breath on stained glass

the old nuns
muttering in prayer
falling asleep by candlelight
snoring and snorting at the back

mea culpa
mea culpa
mea maxima culpa

and she knew
she hadn't done anything
wrong at all
and she was terrified
that she may be a saint

and she knew
she must learn to be a sinner
quickly

Death in the Tropics

3WW...lumber bubble wreck

FOR CHINA

saturday before wednesday week ago
i thought it would be my last
fevered and finished
listening to the trickle
of the fountain
dark grey sky
cuddled huddled together
under the maroon duvet
watched
by a large bubble glass vase
overflowing with roses
in a near empty hotel

toxicity is on a tour thank god
lumbering around a remote temple
with his spiritual leader
peace and quiet reign

if i have to go
this is a good exit
and the best thing
to know and never forget
if i survive
is i am important to you
you are with me
no-one could care for me more
and i thank you

next day the sun comes out
i am a wreck but still alive..just

Farewell Etta James ( 1938...2012 )

For The Weekend

Becikang Makta Manggala (Be Careful with the Boss)

3WW...sliver downhill freak

SENRYU FOR ALL EXPLOITED WOMEN WORKERS

an over ripe fruit
split crawling with fat maggots
perverted lulu

massage and a fuck
i will give you 2 dollars
pretend i am god

andih like bojog
i am a bubul purus
and i am your boss

a sliver of kindness
is unknown to control freaks
weeny puffed peacocks

it is all downhill
if the girls yield to these pricks
if they do or don't

For The Weekend

Killers

3WW...brutal sullen trust

i watch the sullen expressions
the cruelty
the breaking of trust
the brutal exchanges
and scurry away to cry somewhere
quiet reinforced that
'belonging' is dangerous

For The Weekend

Chinese Burns

3WW...zenith tactic naughty

all that naughty talk of
pungent durian fruity fragrance
a tactic designed to drive her
out of her beigeness
split torn flashing
glints of red and fire

by setting alight her wings
he has reached the zenith
of his ultimate control and power
he knows
the lamb will now lead herself
to the slaughter