agitation has taken mind
into fantasy land of feelings
and though not a rustle seen
of leaves in the trees, inner
movement shakes thought
wild plans form and dissolve
impulses rise from calm pond
like monstrous worms eating
into the heart of contentment
and it is as if all the learning
in the world cannot impress
the urgency for stillness and
reflection; understanding an
enemy could be at hand, the
challenge is to identify the
source, analyse cause, and
engage the requisite form of
remedy recommended in the
ancient texts; this is a variation
of self-discipline employed
by ascetics; and the reality
of emotion can be caught
like a thistledown on a faint
breath of autumn evening

rush on to balcony to catch
magenta fingerprint of sun
on smoky western horizon
roaring traffic fails to drown
currawong’s repetitive mournful
night-call; and finally understand
mother’s patience; arriving home
from twelve hours of punters’
demands, puts down work-bags
to sit at kitchen table, examines
postage-stamp under magnifying
glass before carefully sticking it
into its allotted place in album