#165 Kevin Brophy 'At the council meeting'

#165 At the council meeting

chicken and sausages are barbecued

behind the shop.

We hear that houses need repair.

Streets long for names.

There could be a clean up soon.

That path joining two parts of the town,

it’s too dark at night.

Some children still don’t come to school.

Visitors arrive over that hill too fast

and then they’re on the town

among the children and the dogs.

We need a speed limit along there.

Dogs listen to chicken and sausage grilling.

They like these meetings.

They’d vote for another one next week.

The Shire President listens.

His voice is low, nothing surprises him.

Every need is noted down in a large book.

Barbecued chicken is passed around first.

Bones are dropped to the dogs at our feet.

Someone says,

the houses need repairs of every kind

you can imagine.

The desert listens, the dogs listen, crows

repeat the essential message

and the Shire President listens

until the meeting turns to the business

of the sausages and feeding the children.