The novelist ripped
Leaves, fish
Scrolling to her shoes
A swept alley
Sick or possessed
Sprinting the dog
Abandoned her roads
To guard artists
Her face a full dish
Bundled thorns
There was a river here
The colour of an old paperback
Sharpened rush, courageous
The dog who bit and bit, ripping
Remembering her past lives
Bonny Cassidy's third poetry collection, Chatelaine (Giramondo) was shortlisted in the QLD Premier's Literary Awards and the Prime Minister's Literary Awards. She is Reviews Editor for Cordite Poetry Review and runs the Creative Writing program at RMIT University.