Melbourne August

seventeen melbourne haiku philip harvey wrote in august 2014

tiny lady near huge sculpture buttons her coat waiting for old friend

outside office entrance smokers share a flared match and compare the frosts

south yarra schoolboys on peak trains flat chat without end algorithms

front seat drivers swap family foibles all along dawn freeway

new york truths fuse their double fantasy who’ve never been to new york

last night’s tax form face stares at bronchial planning sunshine holidays

park bench world’s one daylong parade: cyclists, ipods, walkers with their dogs

laughing in midday café unaware their jokes rode last night’s nightmares

passing smiles between customer and seller get them through the minutes

his eye signs of thrilled awareness notice his wintry look of knowledge

two talk outmoded existentialism on tram stop of mobiles

man and cap on pavement unwashed beg man whether he gives what loose coin

lovers separated on tram have all the time to reach their next stop

unknown refugee stares at well-showered face that will not return her look

1 a.m. god dreamer tends to the loss of a dead man in drug lane

closing time: long lost friends rave their past near the café window, alone

cold outside: after mild tensions, in each other’s arms, they fall asleep