HELEN MCKINLAY is one of the original performance poets at the Mussel Inn. She also writes children stories and her third book will be published in November 2008. Her website is helenmckinlay.co.nz.


       Lunch at Springs Junction

       we lunched at ‘Springs’ one day
       the place where North and South
       meet West
       where outside smokers huddled
       in the damp

       and in the café
       travellers vied
       for cake and pie
       and slid their words
       across formica tables

       ‘It's raining.’
       ‘How many times have you
       been here when it isn’t?’
       and then a light switch flickered on
       as aged bikies
       bubbled in

       bald headed babes
       in black leather rompers
       ‘Jees that bend was a boomer.
       Took it flat out
       like a greyhound racing.’