Finding the sun dog

I'm told that the sun dog lives

in an ice cave

covered in diamond dust

like thousands of baby suns

​

I walk blindly through cirrus 

memories, searching 

for signs of frosted flight

in apocalyptic towns

A feather to brush the sins from my path, 

a shower of rain to renew me. What lies 

have the years written in leaves,

in the lines on my mother’s face?

The book of her features is open,

I thumb through text of misdirection.

My mother is an illusionist that scatters

plumes from the beating wings of assumption.

By Luke Sole, Gail Ingram, Joanna Preston, & Marisa Cappetta:

Luke Sole

Luke Sole is a musician and poet. His poetry has appeared in Manifesto Aotearoa: 101 Political Poems, Salient, Catalyst, Sponge, and Cordite Poetry Review. He lives in Oxford, North Canterbury with his wife and young son.

Gail Ingram

Gail Ingram’s poetry has recently appeared in Poetry New Zealand, Atlanta Review, Blue Five Notebook and Manifesto. She has a new poetry collection Contents Under Pressure coming out in April 2019. Awards include winner of New Zealand Poetry Society and third prize Poets Meet Politics international poetry competitions. More at https://www.theseventhletter.nz/

Joanna Preston

Joanna Preston is a Tasmanaut poet, editor and freelance creative writing tutor.

Marisa Cappetta

Marisa graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Hagley Writer’s Institute. She has published widely in journals and anthologies in New Zealand and internationally. Her first book, How to tour the world on a flying fox, was published by Steele Roberts 2016. She is currently working on her second collection of poetry.