davidlegge

Soon, Only 365 Days Till Christmas

She pauses, looks up, squints and figures out labels. Decisions. Behind her another examines an item, replaces it on the shelf. Our supermarket aisle, the whole super market is in pause and ponder mode. We are not shopping for the next meal, we’re shopping for Christmas. A porridge of slow moving people who are patient,Continue reading “Soon, Only 365 Days Till Christmas”

Wot is a Geodetic Datum?

Sunday morning walk. Early. Our main street.A lone contractor’s truck.One fellow both arms leaning against the tray,Breathing out memories from the night before.His mate returning from the all-nightPay, grab and gobble Burgher bar. Stop by our best little provincial book shop, Carsons.“Paris Indoor Style.“A white cube. Inside that cube are white cubes.Furniture. There must be,Continue reading “Wot is a Geodetic Datum?”

Torch, Mirror and Phone

It is pitch black in there And almost innaccessible Months will pass Then the first winter glow A health check inspired by a minah cacooing on the top the sound wafts down becomes synthesised by metal tubing the weirdness prompted me to look with a torch, a mirror and my smartphone Our woodburner The baseContinue reading “Torch, Mirror and Phone”

From childhood Holidays…

Then it was a gravel road,The car a cocoon of dustFrom Waitakaruru, to Thames,Where today, retired, I live. Pollen Street, three old guys,One of them is me.Chortling, sharing aches and pains,Growing old, it ain’t for sissies. Grahamstown, an almost gypsy vibe.Op-shops, cafes, a music shop, I stop,Two strangers, two guitars and now,Both tuned, becoming friends.

Anybody for a Chin Tickle?

Longer daylight hoursWarmerNo thanks. He’s sleeping outside nowThe bed burglar has vamoosedHalf vamoosed, still available for tummy rubsAnd chin tickles.Treats time unchangedOrThe Look.

And Time For Tea

Grandma, the Aunts, the joyous cries of summer on the way. Pohutukawa blooms up the Coromandel coast are here. Will be here forever.No time to stand and stare. Things to do. Christmas cake, those morning teas, lunches, the longed for long drawn out afternoon tea.And time for tea.

Enjoy Your Day

And while the Scotsmen slept, the invadors, Norsmen, crept up. An ambush. A cry of pain. Indignation. A would be conqueror had met his match. On one leg the Norsman hopped, cursed and removed a thistle. Ambush averted. Today the ‘Scotch Thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. Hopping across their sheep runs South IslandContinue reading “Enjoy Your Day”

Pause and Breathe

The kitchen bench shinesThat last irritating trickle,clatter of breakfast dishes, done.Morning walk, escapeTwo at a time stride up the steps And pause

Fresh and Cool

First, up the steps, I must count them all Past the poplars, gaunt and tall Morning walk, one must keep fit Must stack that wood before I quit It’s cool, by 5 the fire lit A beer, and then the dinner call

There be Gold

A & G Price is a local heavy engineering business providing employment going back to our gold mining days. These days it is held in some affection, many of our Thames families have connections with the gold mining industry. It was founded in 1868 in Onehunga, New Zealand by Alfred and George Price from Stroud, Gloucestershire. ItContinue reading “There be Gold”