That City Calls My Name
Martha Landman
Though I値l miss the winter balm
of this Frangipani place that cushioned
me for fifteen years
I will leave my tropical comfort cage
pack my coats and gumboots
bear Adelaide痴 winter grey and wet
its radiating cold around a fireplace
for hours in museums and galleries
I値l rise to the gift of parrots
city of Jacarandas, the flair of orange
skies sculpting the length of summer nights
a brisk walk on city paths pulsating
with pubs and coffee clubs
at the little brothels down William street
an old man will pee against a bin and smile
and there I値l be, a woman without history
Pigeons will flock around buskers in the mall
cool shadows curl long around a blind guitarist
giving Don Giovanni a go
At the warm buttery smell of popcorn
I値l pine for the sun that keeps Africa warm
With umbrella always on the arm
I値l meet the seasons of the day, the blueness
of the hills around the city
and the fear that the fog won稚 clear
