Patination

Burnished with wear, the ring
Is pitted and tarnished: it sits
On the mantelpiece, no longer
Warmed by proximate blood;
The finger it encircled reduced
To fleshless bone.

Smelted, forged, wrought
And tempered, the ring retains
Its form on cooling. The fading
Of the heart's heat leaves
No shape memory.

Toronto notebook: a haikulogue

Foreign

The taxi driver's
Accent is hard to pin down:
Oh, it's Serbian


The same but different

A squirrel explores
The corners of the car park
But its fur is black


Footfall

Pedestrian city
Nobody wonders why you
Choose to walk around


Negative advertising

A sex shop is named
Very unappealingly
It's "Not just condoms"


High rise

Hemmed in by glass blocks
The passing clouds can be seen
As cool reflections


Convenience

Plastic surgeons and
Dentists vie for passing trade
With the sandwich shops


Security

Sirens aren't common
The police station dormant,
Another office


Jetlag

I've changed my watch but
I think my stomach's still
Eating on British time


Manners

Breakfast is labelled
"All you care to eat": Nanny
Would surely approve


Local news

Headlines mean nothing:
names I have never heard of
Doing something, or not


Babylon

The air's sickly sweet
In the wake of a black guy
Smoking a fat joint


Evening

The pavements are full
As tourists and locals seek
Food, drink and good times


Wheels

A long-legged girl skates
Dodging through the ambling crowds
Eyes follow her path


Temperature control

The Canadians
Have their air conditioning
We have our windows


Small rebellions

Although the waiter
Says "Have a nice day" to you,
His heart's not in it


Welcome

Doors which are unlocked
Are still kept closed: no labels
Hint at openness


Trapped

People approach me
All the time, wanting to
Tell me boring things


College

Ivy hugs old walls
Obscuring Gothic windows
Clutching ancient stones


The passion

A nude bronze statue
Arms outstretched, unsettles me
"Crucified woman"


Neighbours

Visiting tourists
Forgetfully say "Here in
the United States"


An exception

Although order and
Tidiness seem general,
There's some graffiti


Manners 2

"No excessive noise"
Warns a road sign, leaving its
Key term undefined


Time

The Catholic church
Sounds the hours with its bells; chimes
Doubled by echoes


Nutritional advice

Chocolate milk is
Not a food group; and maple
Syrup is not fruit


Half empty

Wine bought by the glass
May not fill it halfway up:
Leaves me wanting more


Queen's Park

The park is busy
A girl does Tai Chi while
Joggers trot past her


Patience

A squirrel sits up
Swaying, focused on watching
The berried branch move


Museum

The forecourt rattles
As the subway train passes
Beneath the sidewalk


Meteorological Office

A proud plaque records
"Bringing weather to you since
1892"


Rapid transit

The line runs next to
The real railway, carrying freight,
Its bigger brother


Little England

Islington, Old Mill,
Runnymede, Lansdowne, Bathurst:
Named by pioneers


Airport bus

Flight crew, when earthbound,
Share bus seats with mere mortals:
They stay dignified


Equality

The premium class
Passengers queue just as long
As all the others


Limbo

On the brink of change
Turning back to UK time
My watch means nothing


Airport

The gallery looks out
On boys' toys - the planes and trucks
Playing together