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…
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