#217 Kevin Brophy 'Quiet'

#217 Quiet

We sit outside the shop.

One boy is there in a football jumper. 

The nurse comes and goes, waves. 

One man is there, his wife away

in hospital

with a relative in every ward. 

A dog waddles over to look at us.
We have water vegetables two

soft drinks and a weak Telstra signal. 

Two pre-school boys climb Jesus Hill 

and dance their way down

among the rocks onto a sandy road.

One girl chases another girl across the sand. 

We hear laughter 

the noise of the unceasing generator 

another dog barking at another dog 

and the shop door closing

on a day

when most of the town is away

at another funeral.