they rise like new mushrooms
on a bright august morning.
there is a space
between houses
and shopfronts,
and you are there,
crossing the road.
over some buildings
a rented crane rises,
raising and landing
its cargo. stalls are set up
to sell dvds
and watches. a man
pulls a donkey
on a sick-looking
string. this is
no carnival; barely
the funfair. just something to do
with your evening, perhaps.
kids ride the bumpers
and bake raw in sunlight.
the unshaven pavement
shows lines
of dead grass.
D.S. Maolalai has been nominated seven times for Best of the Net and three times for the Pushcart Prize. His poetry has been released in two collections, “Love is Breaking Plates in the Garden” (Encircle Press, 2016) and “Sad Havoc Among the Birds” (Turas Press, 2019)
