BRENT KININMONT
A Poem Lands at Christchurch
Eyes dart between paddocks,
each a random memory, grazed
each a random memory, grazed
until you turn from the vast tray
of late summer’s colour samples
of late summer’s colour samples
to the red roof of a farmhouse,
a combine reaping,
a combine reaping,
and a shadow keeping up
that you swear wasn’t there
that you swear wasn’t there
before it sprouted wings and a tail,
a black bird swelling with
a black bird swelling with
the idea of its arrival,
scanning rivers, hedges, fairways
scanning rivers, hedges, fairways
until it touches wheels touching down
on the edge of the plains
on the edge of the plains
in the middle of remembering
why it ushered you there.
why it ushered you there.
Listen to Brent Kininmont read ‘A Poem Lands at Christchurch‘
Figuring It Out
Hana and Hikari misread
the ballet teacher’s
hips — the hub
the ballet teacher’s
hips — the hub
of four limbs reaching
for arabesque. Still,
Hikari is poised
for arabesque. Still,
Hikari is poised
to figure it out.
Her mum and dad,
somebody tells me,
Her mum and dad,
somebody tells me,
teach boring dancing.
Ballroom dancing?
That’s what I said.
Ballroom dancing?
That’s what I said.
Confidence Tricks
Bury any Doubt
A hammock strung between
two ways of talking.
two ways of talking.
Not a ripple from
the still pond of her.
Mock the Difficulty
In laughing fits
as her mother again
as her mother again
tears from the Twix
the translation sticker.
the translation sticker.
Stand by Your Version
Inscribed in soap, a fingernail
pronounced baby moon.
pronounced baby moon.
After the carp at Nezu Shrine
Fish! Fish! for a crow’s feather.
Fish! Fish! for a crow’s feather.
Two triangles for wings.
To close the elevator, to rise
To close the elevator, to rise
press
Butterfly!
Butterfly!
Practice on the Sly
Turning over in
her sleep her hands
her sleep her hands
sign to someone deaf
to the dream.
to the dream.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brent Kininmont usually lives in Tokyo. He returned to New Zealand in 2007 to complete the MA in Creative Writing at Victoria.