there's a word for naming in praise but I can't remember what it is. instead I kiss your head where you banged it. don't be angry, sweetheart. maybe you thought my shins were together but they were not. and you pushed your head through to be in me, on me, I receive. even if I'm in the other room picking up a facecloth, I receive. even if you knock your sweet plain forehead against the slate. kiss it better. snuggle right in. clouds will sweep away the hurt until we're peach faced. kiss it better - chipped and banged words and now they're mine.  

the weather's terrifying. spiders come inside. he scratches a stranger like we kill a spider, and say sorry. our frost hollow's filled up. we sleep on the couch. we ride to the mall. I can't reach my phone. salt stain on velour. no trees grow here just grass, long enough to tie the heads across the horse's withers. eyes burnt blue, deaf with jingling. 

Much of what is now the centre of the city was naturally without trees.

FROST HOLLOWS
Here cold air drains slowly in the evenings, when it is clear and still, onto the lowest ground and remains immobile there.

This is called temperature inversion, a condition well known to orchardists, and at times in fruit-growing areas large fans have been used to circulate the air to avoid the consequent frost. 

 he picks up his father's hand and removes it from his head because he does not want to sleep. he stands on all fours to feed with his chin above his eyes because he does not want to sleep. so what if the milk streams from his nose? comfort is for babies. it doesn't trim the ship of the unconquerable soul. 

a high wind in the valley of silver birches. your mother and your father shout at each other, with laryngitis. they are shouting for each other. the birches throw shade to one side. on the bright pavilion you take forty calls. these are the animals that need rescuing today.

CLOUDY BAY

May 9th. These 24 hours commences with fresh breezes at Daylight the Captain came ondeck and found that there was no watch on Deck after making inquiry through the ships company he found that Arthur Elmsley had neglected Keeping his Watch the Captain had told him that in the event of him not keeping his Watch that the Captain would turn the New Zealand woman out of the Ship the answer that was made to the Captain by Arthur Elmsley Boatsteerer was that the Captain might turn him out of the ship if he thought fit the Captain ordered him out of the cabin into the half Deck.

At 10 hours A.M. sent the Boats and at Sun set the Boats returned without
(success.  

CLOUDY BAY

May 10th Commences with Pleasant Weather at Daylight sent the Boats out at 2 hours PM the Captain returned to the Ship in bad health the Capt being on board a Shorttime the Captn was informed that Arthur Elmsley had taken away his Clothes Chest out of the Ship on the Evening of the 9th of the said Month and had carried it on Board the Barque Cheviot the Captain went directly on board of the Cheviot to Captn Bateman Master of the Barque Cheviot and inquired of him if he knew anything of a Chest being on board of his Ship belonging to Arthur Elmsley the answer that Captn Bateman made was if there was a Chest on board belonging to Arthur Ems that he knew nothing at all about and that Captain Sinclair might over all his ship for the chest Captain Sinclair going into the forecabin of the Barque Cheviot he found Arthur Elmsley clothes.
At Sun set the Boats returned.
The Captain called Arthur Elmsley on the Deck and asked him who authorised him to take his Clothes Chest out of the Ship without permission the answer made to the Captn by Arthur Elmsley was that the Chest was his own and he would do with it as he thought proper the Captain said he insisted upon the Chest being brought on board the Ship the answer that Arthur Elmsley made was that he would be Dam'd if it should come on board the Ship and made use of a great many Mutinous expressions to the Captain upon which the Captain ordered him on the quarter Deck and he would not go the Captain laid hold of him to push him aft upon which Arthur Elmsley laid hold of the Captain by the collar and drew blood of him there being blows exchanged between the Captain and Arthur Elmsley boatsteerer and Arthur Elmsley said that he would be Dam'd if would do any more Duty on board the Ship the Captn told him that he belonged to him and he should do his duty on board the Ship that as long as he remained in her the answer made was that he did not belong to the Ship

A Festschrift for Fenny Buzart

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Fenny, a Festschrift is a kind of birthday book, and we your animals celebrate your fourteenth birthday.

I, Snoop, am writing this. Think of me as staring into your eyes as I speak. You must drink more water and be in bed each night by nine p.m. Only think about things until nine-thirty. You can do great things, Fenny, but you need sleep.

Owl says not to go with Vanessa on any more walks during school time. And if anyone asks you about breaking in to Alice's house when Alice's mum was home just say it didn't happen. Actually, Owl says you need to talk to Vanessa, even if she is keeping a vow of silence, and tell her that you both have to say that it didn't happen. Owl says that just because Vanessa has bleached her hair and thinks she's never going to speak again that doesn't mean she IS never going to speak again.

For the record, Duducat thinks that Owl is wrong. Duducat thinks that you should just tell Alice and everyone what did happen, that you opened the door to the screened porch thinking that you could leave Alice a note, and then you saw her whole house was open and you thought maybe there was a break-in and you were investigating, and you didn't know Alice's mum was home with a hangover and was going to come out naked and yelling.

Owl and everyone else says to remember what Alice is like. It's better just to say that it never happened at all. Alice won't believe you but Owl says eventually people will stop asking. Tell Vanessa what to say but also tell her that her vow of silence is really spiritually powerful and you can see her inner strength.