Auckland Poetry

Senryu (ageing)

Over seventy seven
I count the days left of life
Forsaken by love.

Old men’s last boast
Telling all how old they are
Words of brave despair

They call me Tom here.
People used to call me Sir
Then I got old

Tanka (Rejection)

Thanks for your poems,
Sorry, we cannot use them
Wish you luck elsewhere,
Even though we strongly doubt it
No one can be that crazy

After the Meeting (resentment)

At the AA meeting, my dog, I had taken her with me as support.
looked around and went over to a tall, elegant man with a wave
of white hair and refined air (I’ve none) and sat there looking up
to him adorningly. On the way home I told her to sit in the back,
this confused her as she usually curls up on the seat beside me.
There was an awkward silence; her ears were up, knew something
was wrong: “So you think I’m bald; let me tell you this; that man
is a doctor and kill people when he’s drunk and perform heart
surgery ” Not addressing the dog directly, but I said no more as
I sounded ridiculous. Back home I drank vodka, with cola light
and ice, the dog had to sleep in outside, on the terrace.