Category: Passages

Clothing and grooming – instant carbon dating
denim and John Lennon
long-haired men, unshaven woman
shoulder pads and bouffant
goatee and cargo pants – naval start and crop tops –
places in time.

Stubbies they were called,
brief fashion infection circa 1980 – 83
men’s shorts, functional and acceptable
barbecue to blue-collar to sub- management
50% ubiquitous.
And niche to the same years, a moustache –
Magnum PI derived and 85% ubiquitous.
Stubbies and a moustache
is what comes to mind when I recall Patrick :
pale blue and lip hairlines that didn’t join
a finger width of flesh in the middle,
two snow ridges to a bare summit.

I was young, new and eager
eager to be successful and liked
jump on the count of three –
would’ve jumped by one.

With Patrick, nothing – instant frost – just add water.
A kingdom with an elderly monarch
and middle-aged courtesans
he was the young prince – had been for a few years
and now I was here,
it wasn’t me he disliked. It was succession.

The mathematics of infinity

He had run around a lot when he was younger,
had been pretty good athlete
and footballer
later the cool uncle –
the popular one, who always seemed younger
bought us ice creams and decent presents.
When we were adolescent 
it was his opinions we valued
and approval we wanted.
He always made time, and always brought enthusiasm.

The first law of thermodynamics

Energy and matter cannot be created, nor destroyed,
only transformed.

The mathematics of infirmity

Slow subtraction of strength
relentless addition of atrophy
constant division of self
to end in multiplication of assistance
of shuffling corridors
pureed food
call buttons
assisted showering, bedpans
and square root of what once was.

15 years ago at least,
maybe 17 or 18.
I recalled her names
but they were a combination that could be either
surname first, or second
or
Christain second, or first.
I didn’t want to mistake the order,
so used neither.
Probably it didn’t matter,
she was surprised I even remembered –
remembered a 3 week placement almost 20 years before.

She approached me in the shopping mall.
In her mid or late 30’s now
had worked the world – Melbourne, London, Brussels, New York –
chef in some top line restaurants.
She said she remembered me
because, “ during my training you were the only place
I got to do real cooking
and didn’t have to work as an unpaid kitchen hand
or dishwasher.”