How many shades of green surround ..
The delicate beauty of the clematis ..
Luscious growth spreading bridal white trails ..
Into the mystical depths of the bush.

Lime grass .. brush-stroked ..
Across a chunky palette ..
Of rich terracotta red .. begs for canvas ..
For knife to capture .. bright greens ..
Crunching into storm-dark slate blue.
Shrouded in light-drizzled swirling mist ..
Slashed erratically ..
With volcanic red earth scars.

Tree-forms offer themselves ..
To the sky-god ..
Bleached lifeless limbs ..
Arthritic fingers outstretched.

So much beauty in this world ..
So much heart-song ..
Even on this gray wind-worn day ..
The balance ..
The dance of life .. and death ..
And .. life reborn .. recycled.

Native N.Z. 'Clematis paniculata'

Photo courtesy of George Gibson, Kiwitravel Ltd

The seemingly negative forces .. of nature ..
The rough wildness .. cancerous decay ..
And .. the vultures .. parasites ..
Are the same here .. as everywhere ..
Necessary elements.

1996

The importance of you .. in my life ..
Is something I reflect upon ..
Everyday.

My heart is .. so crammed full .. of you ..
All I want .. is to touch you ..with ..
My softness .. envelope you ..
With my love.

I could pretend .. you don't matter .. to me .. Tuck you away .. in the back of my mind ..
Like the others ..
And get on ... with my life.

But sometimes .. I see in you ..
A reflection of .. my heartsong ...
And the seeing ... keeps me near you.

1997

Endless time passes ... Aware ...
Of thoughts ... Flowing ... Ebbing ...
A tide of melodious rhythm ...
Washes over ... Memories ...
Softening ... Exploring ...
Searching for insight.

Deep melancholy ...
Seeps through the surface ...
Flooding my mind ...
With unwanted mementos ...
Primal tap full on ...
Releasing scene after scene ...
Replayed ... Observed each time ...
From a different perspective ...
Hoping to see ...
Without ...
The suffocating interference ...
Of my ego.

1995

Yesterday's Drama

How is it ...
That the intensity of feeling ...
That was yesterday ...
Escapes me today?

The cause ... the drama ...
The plans ... of this moment ...
May ... tomorrow ... seem ...
Slightly ridiculous ...
Leaving me shamed ...
By my shallowness.

1981

Premonitions

The people are restless ....
Something in the air .....
A whisper of distant thunder ....
Intuitions ....
Dreams .....
Vague outlines .....
Like faraway hills shrouded by mist.

1981

Fairy Dew

The sun ... rising ... reaches out ...
Stretching ... spreading ...
Brilliant tentacles ... touching ...
Setting alight ... the fire within.
Each fairy droplet ... of dew ...
Sitting ... balanced ...
Precariously ...
Upon a million leaves ...
Stirring lazily ... whispering ...
Turning each surface ...
Toward the majesty.

Birdsong weaves through the leaves ...
Entwined with the fresh trinkle ... of watersound ... Drifting from ... a mysterious space ...
Below the treeferns ...
Entranced ... I stare ...
In rapt wonder ... and see ...
The glorious magical truth ...
Inside each glistening fairylight soul.

1995

Multiple Exposure

Impressions ..
Captured in the fabric of the Universe ..
Caught for eternity ..
Invisible suspended particles.

Each power surge of thought ..
Rippling forever outward ..
Influencing .. affecting.

As the skies are affected ..
By the sun on the horizon ..
As waves of sound vibrate ..
So too does the Universe dance ..
To every minute electrical impulse ..
Of each atom.

Each creation caught .. stored ..
In the Universal Bank ....
Like images captured by a camera lens ..
They wait for the Mind ..
To develop them ..
As imaginings .. ideas ..
Creations .. inspirations..
On the emulsion of our minds.

1996.

Mt. Maunganui Harbour, N.Z.

Given the chance ...
I would give you everything ...
But all I truly have ...
Is myself
So ...
All I can give ...
Is my love ...
All I can share ...
Are my dreams ...
All you can touch ...
Is my soul.

1995

Cape Palliser

Walking barefoot in the cold of August ..
Along a pebbled beach ..
Ankle deep in ice needles .. pain ..
Wetsuit tight against my skin .. too tight

The cloud .. ominous black ..
Comes fast behind ..
Nearly there .. hail-stones pelt my head ..
As I sink slowly into the sea

Fear jumps .. takes grip ..
At the long black shape ..
Moving through murky seas ..
I push toward the surface ..
Shameful relief .. weed

Bobbing like a cork on the swell ..
Need more weights ..
The sea lifts me like flotsam ..
Tossing me backward ..
Onto the rock

Stunned .. I lie .. and wonder how long ..
Before the pain fades
Where is the foolcrazy one ..
Who brought me to this hell of a place ..
Doesn't he know .. I'm just a girl?

Me, Auckland, New Zealand

Battered .. exhausted ..
I crawl to the beach .. tearful ..
At the prospect of .. the long walk back ..
Back to the van .. warm clothes ..
Hot coffee .. and ..
Paua Steaks.

1978

Winter in the city

Once upon a time ..
I slid down a snow-slope ..
On a PVC raincoat ..
Created "Venus:  Snowwoman" ..
At midnight in Christchurch

I found a power-place ..
Of crystal waters and bush greens ..
Explored caves darker than night ..
And saw another world encapsulated ..
In a rock-pool

I watched October ..
Turn the snow of Milford Sounds ..
Into a thousand waterfalls ..
And bathed in ice-water ..
Cape Palliser, August ..
Watched seals play ..
Just metres away ..
As I cooked crayfish ...paua ..
Over the campfire ..
On a clear blue winter's day

Soon little son .. soon we will live ..
But for now .. in this grey city place ..
We must stay.

1981

On the body of the world ...
We crawl ...
Reproducing ...
Refining ourselves ...
Improving our ability ...
To mutilate ...
Our host.

1980

Oversized Ego

Is the mind ..
Nature's plan ..
For a superior species?

Are all our thoughts ..
Inspirations ..
A lost cause ..
Without effect?

I cannot believe ..
It is so ..
How can there be ..
Rhythm ..
Without reason ..
And who ..
Is Nature anyway.

1980

Truly ...
I would like to ...
Step outside ...
Of myself ...
And ...
See me ...
As do others ...
Without ...
The rose-tinted interference ...
Of my self-love.

1979

In Unison

Trying not to give is unnatural ..
Uncomfortable ..
It creates an ache ..
A need to exhale

Giving all you have ..
Causes imbalance ..
Emptiness ..
A need to inhale

I will share .. all I have ..
Willingly ..
but .. all I take .. must be given .. Unconditionally ..
If I am to breathe in unison ..
With the Source.

1996

How can I know what I am ..
What you are .. what we could become ..
Given time .. an agony of trying ..
Hoping for a glimpse ..
An understanding .. insight ...

Now
Everything is clear .. simple

Vibrations .. atoms ..
Creations from the Artist ..
Pure love is unselfish .. and ..
Grains of sand alone ... do not make a beach.

Do you see the connection .. between us all ..
Every cell .. each minute particle .. all one ..
One Whole.

1996

Cape Palliser Portrait

Huge smooth stones ...
Guide the stream to the sea ...
Angular volcanic cliffs ...
In dusky sunset hues ...
Jut ... into sky ...
Anyone venturing here ...
Will feel their tiny-ness ...
Become part of the rock and sea

Turquoise deep the rockpool is ...
Incredibly beautiful ...
With rhythmical grace ...
The life within dances ...
To the sound of its Creator

The sea ... crashing upon rock ...
Thunders a threat ...
Flings delicate spraylace at seals ...
Who dare to smirk ...
To laugh in her face ...
Pompous little beasts.

1980

On my wall hangs Picasso ...
Van Gogh too.

Yet ...
An ancient straw hat ...
Perched on a nail ...
Above a small print ...
Of a tidal creek ...
Long bleached grass ...
Stretching ...
Toward the beach ...
Stirs a memory ...
A dream.

1980

Photo courtesy of 'Charlie'.

The Performance

The show is over, imagination ...
You ...
Are hyperactive ...
Get back in your cage ...
So I ...
Can go ...
Clean your lair ...
Water your tree ...
And rest.

1980.