A-I-R-I-L-Y
that word you put down
a triple score that won
over me what else could I do
in defeat but bestow a kiss
W-I-L-L-I-N-G-L-Y
that hand that led you over
to the bed already crumpled
in wait of more play
Twister without a spinner
H-E-S-I-T-A-N-T-L-Y
cues that were to be read
in semi-darkness but I can’t see
the widening of your pupils
when touch went there and there
B-R-A-Z-E-N-L-Y
guess and feather point anyway
alternate with firmer grip and
pause and change and move repeat
into atop over around under through
a tangle of nouns and prepositions
About the author
Thuy On is a freelance arts critic/journalist of Vietnamese heritage who's written for a range of publications including The Age, The Australian, Books+Publishing, ArtsHub and Australian Book Review. She is also the Books Editor of The Big Issue. Photo by Leah Jing.