Cameron Hindrum is a poetry coordinator from Launceston.

This Is The Shed
This is the shed, son.
This is the key.
The door needs painting. See, it flakes
So you can see
Bare wood exposed
underneath.
In the back corner,
next to that pile of old timber
I was going to turn into something
(when I found the time)
There’s the lawnmower.
It’s old, and it looks a bit crappy.
But it still works.
A bit like your old man.
It’s easy to start.
Check the petrol. Prime the fuel pump
once or twice
and pull the cord. It might
take a few goes, especially
if it’s stone cold.
A bit like your old man.
Keep the lawns trim, mate.
Mum likes it that way.
Mow them once a week in the summer.
I’ll make sure the fuel tin
is full
before I leave.
Shed’s a bit of a mess, mate.
I know.
I know.
© Cameron Hindrum