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'Road trip' by Miranda Lello

by
States of Poetry ACT - Series Three

'Road trip' by Miranda Lello

by
States of Poetry ACT - Series Three

The world is breaking
driving through the falling dark somewhere bombs are falling
and I want to show you where I came from
point to the purple hills and the darkening trees
the night condensing on the fields
But you are sleeping, or pretending to

The world is breaking
I would like to say that once this
ringed in valley was all the world and cupped me in its hand as
I conversed with blades of grass or
crawled through the blackberries chasing fairies
But you are sleeping, or pretending to

Somewhere a city is burning and we could
at least talk about how easily edifices crumble
how delicate is our human skin
tiny hairs everywhere but the palms of our hands
soles of our feet how easy to dissolve
But you are sleeping, or pretending to

I am driving with all the windows down hearing
yesterday happening on the other side of the world
I hear crying and want to ask if you remember
the time we went naked swimming in the surf at night
how did the hollow booming of the grey waves sound to you
as we stood wet and bare on the sand?

Wake and I will show you where I came from
tell you how the waves sounded like the echo
of all the eons of the earth the beat of my brief heart
tell you if we drive west we can keep
a step ahead of yesterday where I don’t want to alarm you
the world seems to be ending

But you are sleeping, or pretending to

Miranda Lello

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