Auckland City Rangers Poem by Ashley Hawkes

With a clink and a clank go the strider's
Down the deserted street
Trailing a rusty blade
He slopes through the darkness
Peering into the shop fronts
Sniffing the boarded up market tents

The curious tip of a lengthy nose
Appears around the corner
Prickly pink cheeks
Stained glass eye
In close pursuit
Slothing in the dusky shade
Of a tattered bat's-wing riding hat.

Holding my breath I give a gentle tug
The studded lead of Bongo the Deadly Dachshund
Taught and Snarl contains the cauldronous growl

Hush

The figure stops
The glass eye flicks to life
And swirls around it's socket
Scanning every nook of the cobbled alley-way
It comes to rest on my trembling silhouette

Heart rates multiply as fluorescent wrist bands
and Indonesian Energy drink are raised
To a smirking lip

Wally the Welsh Ferris Wheel attendant
And Myself
And Bongo
Maintain a stealthy showdown

Take No Prisoners Bongo is the command
This is Auckland Town
I'm releasing my grip on your leather necklace
And here we hunt the Disco Clown