Brooke Linford was co-editor of Egg(Poetry) from 2002-2006. Her work has appeared in several Australian publications. Brooke currently lives in Victoria where she works in Administration and studies Italian.

 

 

 

Fifteen

I loved you at fifteen

 

days of green cordial

nights of coconut ice

you understood me

or fooled me well

 

we stole garden statues

drank warm beer by the river

coloured our hair for $3.50

 

you’re covered in scars now

I’ve heard

and I know

you could never love me

the way you did at fifteen

 

 

 

Motel

 

I’m barely here

restrained

and untouching

 

tucking holidays

into the gaps

with irrational insistence

 

can I love you more

than that

more

than any frantic grab

at poise

at calm

 

I can love you more

than that

 

screened windows

and borrowed sheets

tucked into your arm

with a $3 dinner

 

I don’t care what’s on

any movie

in any room

with any view

 

 

Taste

there are books spread out
a circle of love and heartache – slowly
a drop of red pools
on my top lip

I notice in the mirror how tired
my eyes are
tugging the curls from my hair

I translate
halting
using my fingers
using my tongue to taste the difference

mio marito abita con me
mio marito abita con me