Masquerade

A planetary parade
Gives reason to
Pulmonary ache
First day of season
Bathe in frigid waters
Simply beaming
At possibility
Passersby might
Look for me too
Dipping friends
Wonder why my eyes
Search the shore
Not the thin grey line
Where ocean meets sky
Treading water forever
Till we grow cold
Fire lit inside
Moon mimics CSIRO lights at Salamanca Wharf, Tasmania

Sacred geometry

Upon waking I realise
I am not ready for
The way the world
Presses in on me
From all sides
Until I spy
The spiral motion
Of living things
All around
I feel safe
At home
Taking my shell
Of security
Everywhere
With me
Curl once more
Adding up the numbers
Wins multiply behind me
Cast myself off
From the shore merrily
To begin another adventure
Between the tides
A cornucopia of shell finds cast ashore at Taroona Tasmania

More than

Every woman deserves
More than a sonnet
A statue

Warmth of gentle hand
Kind words repeated
Especially in the heart
Of the storm

More than beauty worship
But limbs of dignity
Pride and passion
Are fostered

More than 'your woman'
To cherish or ignore
Wit and intelligence
Not enough or too much
For yours?

Draw back velvet curtain
More than body -
Heart and soul
Odeon Lounge Bar, Hobart Tasmania

Keepsake

Of all the treasures
I've ever seen
Wisdom, beauty, truth
Redeemed
Finest gifts
Rarest traits
Trust is bound
Longing waits
Propefusus novaehollandiae, New Holland spindle-shell. Found Taroona beach Tasmania.

The seashells of Tasmania: a comprehensive guide by Simon Grove. 2nd ed. 2019.

Wishes in a bottle

Lift the lid on
Colourful opportunism
Take your pick
I chose you
At first glance
Cranberry dreams
Soaked in liqueur
A dollop of cream
From the same maker
We all are and yet
Shelved by label
Aroma drifts
Scented desire
Lifts my mood
Day and night
Yet never to taste
Admire the flavours
On wrists, nape of neck
Dab on lips
A pity to waste
Something so beautiful
Perched high with only
A window view
Cranberry glass bottles in Richmond Tasmania