for a red playfish shirt

i had been scrubbing other pets clean in pet society.
could be because i wanted to earn coins to spend.
could be because, just like coloring a page, keeps me on it.
unthinking, unblinking.
hugged pets in exchange for gold coins
gold coins that bought my night's sleep.

fabric softener

once i was a worm
and i saw the lady neighbor across the hall
saying goodnight and/or goodbye to her man.

she was inside her flat and he, outside her door
she was covered in a blue robe
he, in a dark grey suit, carrying a backpack

a screen door divided them
each standing still in his place
no words, just that

i wonder,
how many goodbyes does one need to hear
to finally let the other go?

i deem that picture very sad
moving sad
and i am still a worm.

processing

watching digits turn purple
color yellow to gray
winter's bitter and i am cold

trees shudder, leaves fall
nothing to hold on to
baring all

thankful spring is sure
unlike most things

cuppa anyone?

nihonggo and french are music to my ears
it is a norm to hear different languages about in sydney streets
but these 2 stand out
i am always stopped to enjoy their melodic rhythm

i sat opposite a french-speaking couple in the train once
they must be canadian-french,
as they didn't look parisian french to me

they boarded the train in excitement
the girl saying something about her mobile phone
and the guy showing off he knew just the thing to do with it
they then settled in the seat in front of me
giggled some and resorted to whispers

thankful i can distinguish one language from the other
thankful too for the opportunity to eavesdrop ----
if you can call listening without understanding that

gone just like that

upright is a nice number, let me tell you why
i got a 3 in cs12 and almost touched the sky

turn it around to face away from me
it is an, the letter next to d

lay it on its back and atch the sun rise
but sometimes even that doesn't suffice

bend it then, please don't let this end
i know now, not everything i can end

3 is a beautiful number, i musn't ask for more
stop, breathe, i can't count to 4

waiting room

we bought an ensemble bed for the other room
it is more inexpensive that way
however, after putting on the sheets
it didn't look right

i then decided to get bed skirts
got a brown one that was on sale
with a couple of dollars more
the room suddenly looked much more homey

ivy's arriving today.

practice some more

i can eat lollies all day, glen
you can eat anything all day, josephine

where's my headphones, josephine?
i ate them, glen.
found it! but i sure would believe you ate them.

got some colds going there, josephine
could be swine flu, glen
haha, possibly, considering the way you eat.

blink to link

i got the window seat in the train today.
window seat is a premium, especially at peak hours.
and whenever i get a window seat,
i consciously choose to look out the window:
no reading, no ipod.

then my attention shifted to the girl in the seat in front of me.
she was wearing her hair in a ponytail,
tied in a purple ribbon, adorned with a black furry cat.
she was saying 'Ko-ga-ra', as the trained stopped at one station.
'That's right, Doll, Kogarah.' her grandmother encouraged her.
she was on her way to the city with her beaming grandparents.
her blue twinkling eyes must have that kind of effect.

may i always remember to look out the window.
'Rock-dale'

may i always find something new out there.
'Syd...nam'
'That's correct, Love, Sydenham.'

may i be totally immersed in looking out instead of thinking of writing this.

with glasses again

i have a larger optic nerve head circumference than the normal population.

must be born with it.

but to have a baseline, images needed to be captured.

i also did the visual field test and failed,

as expected for first timers: could be my eyes are tired.

but i guess i failed miserably, i need to go back to do a retest.

thankful the tests were covered by medicare.

these images, however, are not.

2 Chronicles 25:9

Amaziah asked the man of God,
"But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?"
The man of God replied,
"The LORD can give you much more than that."

that cracking sound

i didn't have one until today
since arriving here 11 months ago.

a stapler. yes, i can be happier.

no wonder bears hibernate in winter

caught my 8.19 train.
learned that a very sunny morning does not translate to a warm one.
but when it is raining, i can be sure that the dampness and wind will chill.

thankful for jumpers, long johns, jackets and brollies.

simpliciTea

i got a hug from the tailor who altered my jeans:
"how are you today, doll?"
"i'm very good, thank you. it is a very chilly morning though."
"here let me give you a hug."
i gave him back one.