We are circumscribed by roads
lined with beehives &, later on,
when the road widens, grain
silos. Insanities abound. Cane
fields are burnt & crying out
for mandolins too steep to ride.
We dance in their shadow, to a
hypo-allergenic tune embedded

at birth along with the cries of
certain birds & a brief disserta-
tion on the vagaries of water
spouts. Later the authorities ar-
rive, to garnish us with flowers
& a selection of excavation tools.

…

Mark Young was born in Aotearoa / New Zealand but now lives in a small town in North Queensland in Australia. He has been publishing poetry for over sixty years, & is the author of over sixty books, primarily text poetry but also including speculative fiction, vispo, non- fiction, & art history. His most recent books are Songs to Come for the Salamander: Poems 2013-2021, selected & with an introduction by Thomas Fink (Meritage Press & Sandy Press); Your order is now equipped for shipping (Sandy Press); & The Advantages of Cable (Luna Bisonte Prods).