This is a place furnished by sanity.
The bed cover, beige, has been ironed of dreams.
TV channels, like zebras, are caged in a flat screen.
Food and drink are miniature, in hiding.
The toilet seat has been deftly secured.
Outside there are hallways designed by doctors.
A gentle choice: up or down.
The mirror on the back of the door seals us in.
As if ‘do not disturb’ meant anything.
About this poem
“Hotel room” was inspired by a recent holiday, which prompted me to reflect on the strange condition of all the hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in.
About Maria Takolander
Maria Takolander is the author of a book of poems, “Ghostly Subjects” (Salt Publishing, 2009), which was short-listed for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards in 2010. Her poetry has been widely published in national and international forums, appearing regularly in “The Best Australian Poetry” and “The Best Australian Poems”. Maria also writes fiction and essays, and she is the author of a book of literary criticism, “Catching Butterflies: Bringing Magical Realism to Ground” (Peter Lang, 2007). She is a Lecturer in Literary Studies and Creative Writing at Deakin.
