by Bryce Newton

Clean-cut cats beneath signposts,

Broken bottles lustrous in half-light.

Arguments loiter loudly.

Wade through bong-breath haze, packaged and porch-delivered.

Dalmatian, grand and leggy, appears in parks by night.

Verge-side gardens tense as sides touch,

Neighbouring grass sprouting, buffet dinner.

Milkman at the door turned away before any produce was procured.

Apartment blocks,

Tissue boxes stacked in the aisle with a pool.

Commuters heave meandering existence down a bleak street,

7 am commute.

Night painted upon rooftop and road, smothers streetlamp.

And Amanda?

She was very sick.

Author statement

‘The Avenue’ explores the theme of the mundane and the everyday as imperative and unconsciously integral to life, our surroundings ground us whether they are man made or naturally occurring. The use of free form poetry seems very natural and I wanted to engage with something that utilized plain language as opposed to rhyming poetry that engages with the idea of structural planning. ‘The Avenue’ was chosen as it gives a sense of ambiguity and universality; it becomes more relatable for the reader.