Margaret Alice Poems

Margaret Mahy, one of my favourite children’s authors,
wrote “The Blood-and-Thunder-Adventure on Hurricane
Peak” - which sounds ever so much grander in Afrikaans:
“Die zoep-zap-en-zirts-hom! -avontuur op ORKAANPIEK” -
...

Food is a way of processing the pain of daily
existence, whenever my latest shortcoming
is discovered and your voice rings out in healthy
denouncement; whenever Nici proclaims me the
...

After many a discussion, talking and explaining,
clearing up misunderstandings, sorting things out,
briefly won the feeling that life is fun and all will
be fine if we keep on working at our relationships
...

An advertisement in black and sickly orange,
stating “Be a pain” illustrating this maxim by
irritatingly flashing every five seconds and
hurting my eyes by its despondent colours
...

Dreaming of my own Phantom, dreaming
that he will come and sing a song with me,
teaching me to sing a sweet duet with him,
dancing an old-fashioned minuet, before he
...

I have not mastered the concept of pain,
I always think I have,
but the pain comes again and I don’t
know how to suffer with grace,
...

Playing at being an astronomer studying clusters of
stars, Virgo and our own Galaxy - researching the
theory of Star Octahedrons in Superclusters in
an exciting bubble universe
...

The crocodile, boredom and scales, sitting
at work to survive a day 33 degrees Celsius

discovering her slacks, specially chosen for
...

Lack of love is estrangement
from self, illegitimate life is
lived without love
...

Listening to Libiamo from La Traviata
while getting ready for work, regressing
to ten years old, dancing in time with the
tune, singing along in front of an audience
...