Geoffrey Aitken writes in Adelaide, on unceded Kaurna land as an awarded poet whose industrial minimalism communicates his ‘lived experience’ for publishers both locally (AUS) and internationally (UK, US, CAN, Fr & CN). Recently, ‘Wishbone Words’ (UK), ‘The Closed Eye Open’, ‘Maya’s Micros’, ‘Our Day’s Encounter’, (US), ‘Oxygen’ and ‘unusual work’(AUS); ‘The Canberra Times’ [Dec ‘22]. He was nominated for the annual Best of the Net anthology in 2022.

any option is the biggest seller

partnership needs no explanation
to deny understanding

or dispense with regret and remorse

refuses to be concerned
by carelessness

‘not responsible’
is/was/always a card carrying business 

background laughter is misfortune’s rejoinder

the car drives the gets away
beyond criminality
to await a better opportunity

meanwhile devils may care
randomly – indiscreetly - recklessly 

while bidding is done 
doors open because it’s earned 

dishonesty finally steals the last breath.

hungry as ever for tragic poetry

in pictures and words

i saw a Facebook meme
that read poorly

for librarians
who appeared once

to argue open reading
is for all children

challenging the premise
age should be the determinant

for access and readiness

before i recalled my own pride

encountering the small print
on a speeding ticket

you will find this poem
published in back pages

within proximity to the sport and gags. 

spliff

my father
was a box

filled with
temptations

of poke and punch
or words that teased

in prompts for answers
quickly wronged
or refuted

then requestioned

for answers to quickly routine

as he was a cheese
unready to mature

believing it would
only age him.