Skills honed to such an edge
He rolls his own as delicately
as if the paper was gilt leaf –
teasing shreds of tobacco
along the paper, to eke out
the last of the fifty grams.
This one is particularly thin.
He smokes on the porch,
an amphitheatre of houses
as his spectators.
At certain times of day
their windows glint with longing.
He doesn’t notice.
He leans against the door
savouring this thrifty cigarette.
He runs his fingers through his hair,
cleanly dyed half red, half black,
then flicks his stub into the garden
with nonchalant precision.
Adrienne Jansen
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Distributor: Nationwide
Format: Pb 82 pp
ISBN: 9780473362515
Email: books@nationwidebooks.co.nzAlso available as an ebook from Amazon.
Keel & Drift
Adrienne Jansen
A girl carries a tray of eggs on her fingertips, a man plays a cello in a field, a woman buys a carpet sweeper – these moments of everyday life are deceptively simple. Underneath, something else is going on – a sense of mystery, an awareness of impending death, a wry view of human nature.
The poems in this collection tell a story, offer an insight or capture a moment of lyrical beauty. Together, they invite the reader to pause and pay attention. Adrienne invites those who aren’t natural poetry readers to find new ways to think about poems and perhaps even enjoy one or two.