by JANE DOWNING
my pathway is a gallery
trod with care
over maple stained cement
mimicking my grandmother’s
wallpaper
one leaf crimson alive
around butterflies desiccating
in the gravel
a wing lifting on the breeze
imitating life in the vault of sky
perfect
in caramel and brown
to one side a fairy ring
of toadstools stand
studded with vanilla candy –
poppers edible except for dire
warning
in its scarlet cap
and finally on the long last
homeward stretch
a pirate treasure trove shines
pocket silver spilled outside
the pub
Albury, NSW