So close together, for warmth or security, who knows? Will they be left alone or taken by predator or weather, or pressed by the accidental hand of a climbing child? Will they reach the next stage or end up too soon like twisted leaves on the damp ground?
I don’t know what those who are familiar with these creatures decided to name them. But for now they are here on the side of the tree near the bedroom, gathering the last heat from the sun that sets early this time of year.
Almost, but not quite. My set of poems “The Twisting of the Knife” came fifth out of over 300 entries in the recently concluded Sixfold voting round. Maybe next time. Or maybe another lifetime.
The poem was originally my “response” to a collaborative effort with poet friend Raphael d’Abdon. We may still one day finish the chain of poems and release it in another form.
For now I wish to share via SoundCloud my scratchy recording of this poem which you will see in text form when the Sixfold issue comes out in August. It will be free to read online or to download.
Hot cross buns were introduced to me upon my arrival in Cape Town. Through the years they’ve gotten more expensive and smaller, sometimes sooner than packaging designers can manage to adjust to the new budget sizes. This hot cross bun packaging clearly shows how much consumers have been duped.
The same goes with many items like chocolate bars and breakfast cereal boxes.
Aside from this old trick that many businesses play on us, there’s also the environment to consider.
Woolworths is notorious for excessive packaging, often in hard, single-use plastics. Do they really know or care about what is happening around us? Just wondering.
Matangmanok 