Christine Paice: Three Poems

Blessed and Certain

The most profound and moving experience of my life

was spending time with the body of my father

who had ascended already and was lying unconcerned

in a small room in a brick house in a small town midway

between heaven and earth

lots of parking and good coffee

he lay there a little pale but more relaxed than I had seen him

walls so thick they might have been expecting violent resurrection

uncivil unrest as the dead discover they are dead

the living try to make amends and offer up excuses and small lies

my father spoke even though his mouth was still

he held my shaking hands and said he had been thinking

deeply about this for a long long time

said he was blessed and quite certain

leaving that small room I burst into song I felt I’d seen

the truth of death and was walking forwards to the rest of my life

and all around me spring was falling.

Christine Paice

Broome Moon

Crazy moon red dirt distance on my shoes

the plane was leaving…