vaguely obligated i filled the forms &
scratched your name on the ceremonial sherd –
an old-fashioned branch – & fed it to
the lukewarm slot. the bulb in the waitingroom
wavered across overalls & children with a birthday cake
the man beside me wore a clip-on tie & trembled
i don’t know long, not sure the clock worked can’t
read analogue i rolled a cigarette & thought the summer
you in your threadstore dress the blue the stars that dappled
their feet in waxing dusk standing i fumbled for a match
Jonathan Dunk is a critic, poet and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. He has been shortlisted for the Overland VU fiction prize, and lives on Wangal country.
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