The Beach

 An album by Neil Young

was the first I

paid full price for

‘On the Beach’

raw, volatile & real

he held no punches

‘For the Turnstiles’

gave my brother

headaches

yet it has endured in time

The cover photograph

showed a rocket

stuck in the sand

yet it was just

the tail light of

a 1950’s Bel Air

the beach is just a

shadow for me now

my temperature regulation system

defunct

The sun’s too hot

The sea’s too cold

So Goldilocks stays

home in the shade now

on sizzling summer days.

Summer Slowdown

 When the tar on the road

melts and sizzles

you know it’s summertime

bare shoulders

and sun hats

protection for our nose

seasons come around

nothing we can do about it

The city goes quiet

while everyone’s away

the best time to be here

some people say

summer’s on its way

pohutukawas bloom

and then, look out

because it can be

gone too soon.

Service

 Why do I do service?

I ask myself

to have another meeting

when the sun rises tomorrow

my recovery waxes and wanes

like the moon

permanence comes from repetition

I fall over sometimes

who will be there to pick me up?

Love holds us together

like vines intertwined

enmeshed and energised

on the long straight path

we help each other

as the Light shines from above.

Kowhai

 The yellow flower

one of New Zealand’s

finest

Tuis love the

sweet nectar...

makes them happy

squawking their

raucous song

so many places

so many rooms

have been named

after this simple flower

as symbolic as

our flightless bird

I am happy for its colour

brightening up our

green, green world

Tuis in the spring

remind me of

holidays by the sea

Long ago now

but the memories

shine a light

on an otherwise

dark place.

 Purple flower apple tree