Canberra, Jan 2020
the kitchen caught on fire
I tired to smother it
with a linen sheet
it sprung up again
and leapt into my arms
I get no credit I just
woke up smelling smoke
fresh air says the doctor fresh air
but it's been lingering for days
so I stay inside my rooms
and keep my windows shut
well we drove through the thick of it
all the way to melbourne
I remember the taste infecting
the water tank, the homeless man
outside get inside
where
I saved up orange grey images
to filter over in my sleep
until they turn into
faded old photos
I'll never have another nightmare about it
(I say against all reason)
meanwhile
there's still
the homeless, no names
given but endless
temporary trailers and street corners
closed eyes and frantic breaths
as the sickness rolls into town
