Car Park

The bays in the shopping centre car 

park are staggered, making the

rows of their inhabitants look like so 

many zippers fastening the grey 

patches together. There’s one bay that 

contains only white and silvers, increasing 

the effect, except for a solitary red 

sedan near the end that spoils the result

MDC

November 2020

Consequences

 Buckling under the weight of 
opinion and condemnation
Peter fills himself with Oxycodone, 
scotch and beer chasers, then 
chases his demons at high speed 
down the straight knowing his 
confused reflexes will be too dull to 
take the curve, causing his parents 
to grieve for the rest of their 
shortened lives.

Unwilling to accept the painful 
loneliness any more Sheila jams 
the hose through the gap in 
her old Mazda’s window 
and finds slow solace 
in the monoxide mist as it 
erases her memories of 
betrayal, leaving her 
friends confounded and 
feeling guilty.

After his birthday party 
on Sunday night, 
Larry’s Saturday-night 
special becomes a 
Monday-night special 
when he places the muzzle 
in his mouth, momentarily 
pauses, then triggers the
door open to hell for himself 
and his family

In our rising up and lying down,
our going in and going out, these 
acts fracture our perspectives,
unsettle our peace and
rightfully ask How did you miss 
their loss of hope? Too late 
for apology. Far too late 
to care.

MDC

November 2020

Shopping Trolleys

 like a flock of sheep, graze 
across the field of the car 
park. Small groups and singles, 
feeding quietly, scattered randomly.

The proverbial solitary jumbuck 
lies on its side, its wheels 
hanging over the edge of 
the perimeter drain, almost

 
out of sight, clinging onto the 
herd by hugging the asphalt, 

waiting for a shepherd to rescue 
it and return it to the fold.

MDC

13/11/2020

Robbie’s Prayer

(For Robbie in hospital)

When the pain came quickly and my breath was taken.

I did not know it was you, Lord

And though in hindsight I know I was mistaken

I did not know what to do, Lord

When the pain comes slowly and I am aware

And I know you have a plan, Lord

I am determined to be in faith and not despair                    

And not be a weak man, Lord

Yet I know in weakness you are humbling me

And your thoughts for me are kindly

And though it feels like you are slaying me

My days of fear are behind me.

MDC

18/02/2014

Recovering from Concussion

1

Half-empty cups scattered through every room.

No wonder I can't find a clean one when 

making myself another coffee.  I can't 

find a clean shirt to wear and discover them 

all in the washing machine still damp from the 

cycle a few days ago.

2

The days are going very quickly or maybe 

it's because I'm sleeping so much.

4

I'm reading three (or is it four?) books at the 

moment and the plots are becoming a bit 

confusing. But the sixth one is really good!

It’s about this person who 

5

I paid a bill twice this week, or was that 

last week?  Or maybe I paid two bills 

twice, I'm not sure. 

I’m watching a new series on Netflix. I 

watched the same episode three times 

before I realised that it's not the plot that 

is slow.

6

7

I drive to the hospital (in yesterday’s clothes. I can’t 

find anything clean to wear) for my rehab appointment 

and get lost. By the time I find the right building I have 

a headache and am so confused I fail the cognitive and 

recall tests. They assure me there were five shapes I 

should recall but I’m pretty sure they didn't show me one

of them. They stop the physio test almost immediately 

and say they don't want to make things worse for me. 

They're all very kind and gentle but I can tell

they think I'm more injured than I really am.

8

My friends call me to ask how I'm going but 

I can't recall what I tell them. The next time they 

call me they tell me they realised how ill I am by 

my confusion on the previous call. I paid a bill 

twice last week.

8

I purchased an audio sound system 

from out of the back of some guy’s van in a car 

park. I arrived home feeling good about something 

I purchased for forty-five dollars. I

didn’t realise until I saw the email from 

my bank - the receipt was for $450.00

I found the speakers in the back of my car the 

next day when I went grocery shopping.

9

I got a phone call while driving into town the 

other day. When the call finished I found 

myself in a part of town I hadn’t seen for 

decades and had no memory of driving there.

10

The rehab people have put me under “house

arrest” saying I am a danger to myself and

to others. I don’t remember meeting anybody 

to be a danger to.

11

My boss rang me to see how I am going, and 

told me that everyone at work sent their 

‘Get-well-soon’ wishes. She told me that Troy 

had come around to fix something for me. 

I wonder what needed fixing?

12

All this stuff keeps arriving in the mail and on 

the courier. I don’t know who’s buying it all but 

luckily I like everything that has turned up so far.

13

I think I'll be able to go back to work on 

Monday, part-time of course, but apparently 

Monday was yesterday so it must be next

week. I think.

14

There’s four hundred and fifty dollars gone

from my bank account and I don’t know why!

MDC

October/November/December 2020