Beginnings

She is cut from her car
drenched in blood
to match the paintwork
her lips the color of sky

beneath his boots
glass crackles and splits
arcing blue light bouncing
over the dead black road

she is holding their
twin daughters
on her hips
all of them smiling
for his camera

in his arms
they are warm
grinning with joy
for
milk and sunshine
and honey

her eyes flutter
with the oxygen
and the plastic
in her throat
and through the chaos
his teeth flash bright

"i am going to take care of you"
and
"it is going to be alright"

they take their babies
beautiful pink fingers
and wrap them gently
just for a second of time
around the pohutukawa sapling
for a blessing
touch this
he digs the hole deep
with a shiny stainless blade

the ketamine
kicks in hard
but she is aware
of his hands
looking for her
feeling for her
damage and strength

the car lets go
its grasp
and many gloves
lift her free
carry her onto
bound softness
and morphia

she is always pleased
to look at him
to see him
sometimes it is as if
the very air is on fire
when he steps bravely
through the doors
she heats up
when they talk

he breaks the rules
alone in the speeding ambulance
kisses her forehead
as his eyes follow
the peaks and troughs
of heartbeat
and breath
he cries
for she is a stranger
yet he knows
her name

and she places
the tiny plant inside
red earth
knowing, feeling, seeing
one hundred years pass
until
someone will hug
the gnarled splitting boughs
and understand

On The Island.

We considered diving into the heaving ocean, but settled instead for a deep rock pool that sat halfway down a massive slope of ancient cliff. We were naked before everyone, how they laughed at our stupidity and clumsiness on the boulders. The cold was shocking as we gingerly entered the water, we swam over crayfish and blue cod glinting in the spring light. Emerging, it felt as if our skin was on fire in the salt breeze. As we sat drying ourselves with our clothes, you said how beautiful and brave you thought I was, wanting to swim, when the others were content merely to observe. How very different I was, so exciting. How fast I moved, quick to action, inspired by chance. That you loved me.