No fresh food in the shop today,
supply truck bogged on the track
between Billiluna and Balgo.
Graders are coming in from
both directions to dig it out
before the lettuce wilts, before
the new milk sours.
Today Ian fitted phones to houses,
he wandered round the town
twisting old tele-wires together, chatting
to anyone who came along.
He’s a communication expert.
The earth today is a damp red cushion
after last night’s world-ending
convulsion of wind and rain on us.
Why didn’t those few last trees snap?
The shop door dogs look soaked.
My dog, one child says, it doesn’t have
a name, oh yes, it’s name is Kunjia.
Goodbye? Your dog is called Goodbye?
So now I’ve got its name down right,
and we know its name has no English
name to match it. Just Kunjia,
Kunjia who hid from the storm in the night.
love this
ReplyDeleteme too
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