Irene and Gaye

They stood in the middle of the road
and put straw hats on their bellies
and the wind just held them there.
I thought it was so cool
and they were so cool.
I wouldn’t have minded being
those hats
pressed against their skin
with the wind as an
excuse.
It was down by the old butter factory. I think
in 1906, or something like that,
Rangiwahia won a prize for the best butter
in the World
but all we had now was girls who could keep hats on their bellies.
It was summer
and there was a mirage behind them as the road melted and
waved.
They had to explain that to me too.