Orange road cones appear to incite brain fog
community Facebook pages bedecked with outrage
traffic disrupted, slowed, held up, drivers fume
and the sea lap laps at the road edge unaware

and the sea laps, the sun shines, the birds sing

all over the motu, angry motorists decry cycle lanes
fury spills over orange road cones onto Facebook
people calculate the lost seconds, minutes even
imagine hours of their happy lives destroyed

and the sea laps, the wind blows, the birds fly

sometimes traffic lights accompany the road cones
those infuriating orange road cones (don’t you wish
you had shares in the company who makes them)
people idle away in cars waiting, waiting, fuming

and the sea lap-laps, the sun shines, clouds scuttle

late model tinted window turbo charged saloons
rev their engines impatiently owners sweat on
leather seats, cursing, checking Apple watches
fearing the lost seconds, minutes possibly hours

and the sea splashes, the birds cry, clouds fly


European sports cars, boat trailers, camper
vans, double cab utilities even caravans
big diesel buses and electric build your dreams
ageing Tesla, Jaguars with branded spotlights

everyone is in their car, or so it seems

and the sea lap laps and the birds sing

and then one day all the road cones float
away and the sea swallows them all