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