1998
XI
I look at your smooth, firm, golden appearance
touch your back with the palm of my hand to take you
in the hottest heat of the chilli hours of a lunchtime break
or cool in the watermelon sunset, when night time melting away
in a rumba rhythm swinging insect choir
under the flat-cap gaze of an umpiring moon
hold you in the postscript spinning glow
of a half forgotten teatime off-break afternoon
raise you; prepare to enter, then inside, a twisting
half-turn you round, take the catch, you're out
now free from the padlock's tight enclosure
the amorphous bending metal grill can race
away in its noisy grating groove; ears baulk
take off my working shoes, then in slow, perspiring way
go past tiring whining creasing wire netting
of moaning mosquito
then hit a four off my thirsty glass of water at the rear
hungry for a quick single, or two
acute angles of a non-stop light bounce in mime
through filtering scarecrow tree,
to moulding boundary wall of flaking grime.
XV
a hard, heavy shackle pack, binding tight
a kit-bag sculpture cast in brass, glowing
hooking Chinese meagre haematite
from the scrum of a collapsing pit prop mine
forward by whistle blown train to go through
the tedium of the steel mill hot ruby centre
where ebullient steel men, electric arc
spray a waterfall of half flying gob
currents of a gulf stream in molten gear
to copy tube, pipe, bar, cable, wire,
cascading shower of the mock magma
metamorphose to flanking manacle
now from the foundry
a magnolia and orange mélange flow of tea
to where …
II
a door banging here
hint of a wet breeze maybe
in the east coast air
end game cup of tea
papaya hang firm
sheltering from hot hit sun
green leaf canopy
the telephone rang
betik di pokok,
cuaca panas puteh,
hilang laut terbang
the surf half-crying
papaya in tree
hot net sky, white leg weather
sea eagle flying
in the east coast air
Chinese tea, still, warm
palm caressing court teapot
game going nowhere
with no key
