Poems Niederngasse

Michael Riley
until it rains

her eyes used to record words
she alphabetised thoughts in her fingernails
at night her feet walked under the carpet
the hairs above her lips cracked every time
a baby cried

sometimes in summer
mango trees would grow in her
grade six science project
the one her mother/teacher failed
northerly winds closed the hole in her heart
a cool change made it bigger
the salt water rinsed the winter from her hands

she still visits me on sundays
we play cards
carve 'you and me forever' in jack o lanterns
hold hands until it rains

19  January 2005,  round V, poem 4

Michael Riley's poems have recently appeared or are set to appear in Underground Voices, Going Down Swinging, Stylus Poetry Journal, Pendulum, The Rose & Thorn, Sidereality, Clean Sheets, Tryst and Mind Caviar. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.
E-mail:  M. Riley