Tom Staudt

Old ways

It is late summer. The sky glows in shades of pink and purple before slipping into its shimmering nightgown.

I walk our street; the air is perfumed with jasmine. From a window above I hear “Tears in Heaven.”

Every corner and every tree in this street is familiar to me. I remember where we had to stop, and where you made me go faster.

This is still my favourite walk . . .

in the night sky
shines a bright star . . .
I wonder
is this where you’ve gone
to make the Dog Star brighter

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About the Author

Tom Staudt lives in Sydney, Australia. He moved to Sydney from Germany in 2002. He writes mainly Japanese poetry and has been published in several online journals. He has also written short stories, two of which have been published in a short story collection called Phoenix Ink.