Golden Bay 2004

We had just enough room
for one small hitch hiker
not too much luggage
squeeze them into the
back seat of the Polo
we saw the first passenger
just out of Nelson
flew past her like we were
in a hurry, slammed on the
brakes and u-turned
she was going to Collingwood
we dropped her at her destination
it was only slightly out of the way.
days later we were on our way home
gone through Nelson and
not one hopeful thumb lifted
we were commenting on this
when there was Murray,
thankfully taiko drumless,
though with his black dog
Orphius, animal talisman.
Murray and dog shared the
front passenger seat
crammed against the windscreen
I hugged the back seat
between backpacks, sleeping bags
and holiday detritus
we shared red wine
drunk from the bottle
on the beach in Picton before
man and dog parted on the Arahoe
and we steered the Polo
onto the Bluebridge
we made plans for fire circles
for drumming and
fire dancing all night
under full moons, and
we wondered for years
about predestiny disguised
as coincidence.