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Photography: Sarah Reed
Bronwyn Bryant


Bronwyn Bryant is a poet, journal writer and tutor who lives in Botany Downs, Auckland. In 1999 she took a year out from real life to attend the Creative Writing Course at Whitireia, Porirua Polytechnic, where she discovered a passion for poetry. Along with fellow Whitireia graduate, Jenny Clay, she has run poetry workshops across Auckland and produced desktop publications of the poetry produced at those workshops. She has been published in Tongue in Your Ear, Kokako, Nga Maunga Korero, The Island Breeze, Manukau in Poetry, Poetry Aotearoa and Takahe.

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Advice to a Dinner Date

Half a glass of wine
and I am drunk
a full glass
I'm asleep.

If you want sex
buy me dessert.






Wearing Purple

Clothes the colour
of lavender scent

the throat of the iris
or the voice of the jazz singer

of wave turn
of moon circle
of bird feather shimmer

you must be a lesbian
said the deputy principal





Everyone Leaves a Trail

Everyone leaves a trail, said the tracker
no matter where you go, or how,
we'll find you, always.

Walking backwards through grass
won't fool us. The leaves will point
to the direction you take.

I live in a small country
speak with a loud voice
have dropped opinions on the way.

And nail clippings, haircuts
tonsils, appendix, a womb
double D breasts, a chunk of thigh.

Does this disgust you?
It hasn't been all bad.
I've made a difference.

There is a boy who can read
a girl who loves Maths
a woman writing stories of her life.

The smell of home made soup
lingers in the air, and bread
and a spicy fruit loaf.

There are leaves of paper
full of words that only I
could have written.

You can find me
easily
if you want to.