Iced Lattes by Luis Ouriach

Arts Richmond

Online - 21 September 2020

I pined for you in the southern hemisphere

Arriving home from work I’d wait

on the balcony of my Ultimo apartment

opposite the hotel

The one that hosted Saturday church meetings

for devout Indonesian Christians

A bowl of frozen mango on my lap

reminding me of summer

in this long, long winter

Ding, a reply

your wit thrumming through yesterday’s conversation

last week’s conversation

Good morning

It’s evening over here

Ten thousand,

five hundred,

and

fifty-three

miles

Voiceless

personalities painted with

each

key

stroke

Static avatars

Is my picture reflective?

Long replies your perspective

Charming autodidactic

sarcastic

reactive

energy

Two hundred

and

eight point

six

miles

July 31st

I’m on Monmouth Street

Two iced lattes, please.

from ABOUT TIME, the 2019 anthology of shortlisted entries from The Roger McGough Poetry Prize. Copies of this Anthology can be purchased for £5 including P&P from Arts Richmond.