David Regan

Drift

And what is joy
if not a field of wildflowers 
in a meadow by the creek.
An old man is fishing; 
he has made a fire pit ringed 
with river rocks 
and has a small fire burning.

And what is peace
if not a meadow by a creek                                                                             
and the pale drift of smoke                                                               
from a fire ringed with river rocks.
A coffee pot simmers on the heat.   

And what is smoke 
if not the drift of time 
in the hours before twilight 
by a fire
by the creek
where an old man is fishing
from the sandy bank.

And what is time 
if not the drift of hours 
before twilight
beside a fire 
by the creek
where a coffee pot simmers 
and pale smoke disperses 
above a field of wildflowers,
their heads bowed 
like an old man’s fishing rod,
toward the dwindling sun.

David Regan is a poet and visual artist living and working on Bunurong land on Westernport Bay, an hour south of Melbourne, Australia. His ancestry goes back to Galway via his Great-Grandfather. In 2024 he was  shortlisted for the ACU Poetry Prize, longlisted for the Liquid Amber Press poetry prize and the UCVC Poetry Prize. He was also recently published in the Oystercatcher One anthology by 5 Islands Press and had a haiku published by The Dewdrop. His first book will be published in 2026 by 5 Islands Press.