I was 20, rich, & lying
on my Newstart
so I could buy us petrol,
maybe drinks
at Das Kapital,
where we once saw Kim Beazley,
who’d just lost the election
post-Tampa, post-9/11.
I had this sweet office gig
making photocopies,
answering phones.
Mum’s neighbour Craig
ran the café across the road.
He gave us freebies.
My boss loved Craig
& his coffees.
Her daughter rang the office
at least twice a day.
Hanging up,
my boss would say:
“Don’t get married.
Don’t have kids.”
My Newstart got us
a converted garage
with a sloping bathroom
& under-floor millipedes.
We snuck in a kitten.
Craig had two kids
plus a wife on mat leave.
He checked on Mum.
Mum loved Craig
& his two kids.  
Kim Beazley promised
he’d make Les Murray
poet laureate
as soon as he was PM,
but Labor dumped Kim
the same week his brother died.
Les died later. 
Craig moved out.
Das Kapital
is an açai place.