Emulsion Lane
By Oliver Hailes
An ominous glow
beckons your approach.
Between cold, white,
sea-worn walls you wander
until you catch the whiff
of some happy pariah
enjoying his Friday night vice.
The shrill cries of penguins
slip in and out of shadow.
You hear the fumblings
of energetic young dreamers
(you can taste the aspiration
in their every sloppy note)
and you can hear the sparse applause
of burnt-out candles
whose own dreams are long forgot.
And yet, you cannot help but smile.
The wind seems warmer than it should be.
• Oliver Hailes is a poet, songwriter and student living in Dunedin.
