Now

By Stephen House

i adjusted my attitude
in a quick thought this morning
as i’m one for immediate changes
slowing down new directions
is a waste of time usually
when enthusiasm is exploding in now

i’ve been thinking lately
about how quickly time departs us
another year is now well underway
and with the speed that it’s travelling
paired with a major new issue
my life could pass by fast as well

i sit outside under a kind sprawling tree
and chat with a pigeon now my friend
we share our dreams with the sky
as the wind blows out tunes
while a parrot watches closely
with interest

in a house nearby i hear people fighting
screaming loud is now not what i need
scooters speed past me
hip hop music beats blast
i start dancing
and people gather and clap

a skinny guy at a café
who i’m getting to know
says things aren’t too good for him now
i show concern for his angst
so he asks me to sit down
and shows me photos of his cheating lover

a taxi driver and i chat outside of the cafe
and have coffees i buy now’s my shout
we laugh at stories we make up
share some secrets we’ve kept
the skinny guy joins our table
and cries

Stephen House has won many awards and nominations as a poet, playwright, and actor. He’s had 20 plays produced with many published by Australian Plays Transform. He’s received several international literature residencies from The Australia Council for the Arts, and an Asialink India literature residency. He’s had two chapbooks published by ICOE Press Australia: ‘real and unreal’ poetry and ‘The Ajoona Guest House’ monologue. His next book drops soon. He performs his acclaimed monologues widely. Stephen’s play, ‘Johnny Chico’ ran in Spain for 4 years.