DS Maolalai

long walks 
each evening.
and health—eating plenty
of apples. the reading 
of second-hand novels. books 
you have handy, and have read
before. no wine—
just black coffee
in cafes with free wifi

and glasses of water—really tasting
glasses of water. 

knocking some nights
at a neighbor
to borrow her straightener
and flatten the sleeves
of your shirt. 

 

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DS MAOLALAI has been nominated eight times for Best of the Net and five 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).