‘Afterwards we got drenching summer rain
a blackbird hopped out onto the backyard
all chest & pluck
we stayed inside
watched the rain slant the
hills
I said it was a proper New Zealand
summer
never all bloody sunshine
but blue &
bloody the way a heart can be
that holiday we
buried our dog with her head pointing toward the
sea
I put my hand against my collarbone
while
watching rain’
Richard Langston
