Half Time Oranges, by Alana Wilkinson (2025)

1.

Square OneDown a tunnel back to grade threeSoft ball, no one picked meSideline squinting on fold out chairsWith the tub of oranges And excuses for why I cant playA plan to pass out when they call my nameI should not have told josh thatI play for the stateI’m in trouble hereOne little pull of the woolIt’s painfully clear You got me, oh you got me I’ve never hit a home runSo I’ll walk myself right back to square oneGrowing older you learn to fit inThe things you should do, the things you shouldn’t And it turns out it wasn’t coolTo sing for the whole school In a costume I’d made myself Singing in scream like Avril LavigneBut I was not as punk rockAs I had hoped to seemI’ve made it complicated hereI did not think through this fake tattooAnd the school thinks I’m weird You got me, oh you got meI didn’t really pierce my tongueSo I’ll skate myself right back to square oneRolling forward to the last year of schoolHarry was a badass cause he broke the rulesHis hair hung in his faceWhen he asked me on a dateI panicked, and nodded in frightThen jumped and fist pumpedWhen he was out of sight He looked good from far awayBut on our date he had nothing to say Just a dare from one of his mates To leave me to payYou got me, oh, you got meI don’t know how to roll you a bluntWhile we’re at it, I’m asthmatic, Excuse me while I cough up a lungOh you got me, oh you got meAnd you owe me $20 for lunchBut these are the lessons we take back to square one

2.

UltravioletWe met stocking shelves in a toy store at fifteenSinging out, dancing the aislesAnd he’d tell me stories of girls that he liked and I’dJust nod along and smileThen mid way year 10, he went full time & I asked him whyHe didn’t wanna go to schoolHe said he had dreams and believed he was now free to do ‘em But could tell there was more I got the feeling you were hiding Hiding yourself away Oh, keeping all your disco lighting side of the stageWhen boy you glow a kaleidoscope, a firework display And all your ultraviolet goes to waste When you cover it up in grey We’d bond over musicals, movies and singing songs Acting out all the scenes I would be Jack, he’d be Rose just like Kate and Leo And we’d drown out Celine He’d make me wear shoes that I couldn’t walk straight in, Earning my stripes in fake tan We’d show the world all our dance moves at clubs And both make out with a man But you’d lie about where we’ve beenChorusOne night we sat out front of my house He buried his face in his hands He had to come clean and he said that if I didn’t wanna be friendsHe’d understand He said he left school ‘cause the guys in his classMade his life living hell every dayThey pushed him over, they broke his hipStood over him, couldn’t shine in the shadeOh, now I see how you’re survivingBy hiding yourself away Oh, but all your disco lightingShould be centre stage Cause boy, you glow a kaleidoscope, a firework display So let your ultraviolet radiateLet all your ultraviolet take up the spaceIn your own damn neon way And fuck what anyone else wants to say.

3.

With A Boob OutThis morning I answered the door with a boob outAnd when the postman’s eyes were bugging out of his head It was me that thought he was crazyIt was me - and my nipple for the street to see.Then I told the person at Telstra I loved themThere was a giant pause, instead of him saying it backI was offended by Jeremy’s lack of tact Just say it back, I’m having a dayNo, I’m not staying on the line for a survey. He’s probably a nice fellowBut my brain is operating at the speed of a marshmallow Oh, I used to be a bright yellowNow I fade by middayAsleep and drooling on the couch But I can do it all with a boob outI was sitting at a cafe, they brought my food outEvery time I go to eat, my child needs to eat too It’s some hilarious timing thing the boobie gods doIn the juggle of a toastie, a breat and a babe I was ableTo shoot a steady stream of milk at the neighbouring tableOf seeming nice fellowsI apologise for the lunch surprise they got mid espresso Although today I’m not my brightest yellowI’m a million colours I’ve never even seenAnd the happiest I’ve ever beenMy world is glowing brighter knowingThat all this giant love keeps growingI’m a brand new woman, nothing could’ve prepared my heart for thisI’m like a blooming flower with super powersI can turn these mountains into milky fountainsI can bleed while I feed the tiny human that grew inside meAnd I can do it all with at least one boob out.

4.

Sway (A love song to my orange tree)We moved in late NovemberInto a house that had been lived in and not lovedIt was dark and I rememberFeeling the heaviness the walls bore witness of You made it through, tall and wise you carry onMoving slowing to the rhythm of a quiet knowingA timeless vision of the world around us dancing Balanced perfectly on a gentle breeze Sway with meWe got high back in AprilAnd I’d never seen your colours neon brightIt was dark and I remember,Knowing your glowing came from living through the nightsYou made it through, tall and wise you carry onMoving slowing to the rhythm of a quiet knowingA timeless vision of the world around us dancing Balanced perfectly on a gentle breeze Sway with me

5.

Charlie's SongTiny hands and tiny feetWill forever leave their imprints on meA sleepy smile on an Angel facePerhaps you’re just too perfect for this place Baby let your wings grow, let your wings grow And carry you over the rainbow. Baby let your wings grow, let your wings growAnd carry you safely over the rainbow. Close your eyes, I’m by your sideHolding your hand in mineAs you let your wings grow, let your wings growAnd carry you over the rainbow. Baby let your wings grow, let your wings growAnd carry you gently over the rainbow. I know you’ll be embracedBy the open armsOf those we love gone tooBut here on Earth my heart will always carry you

6.

CarelesslySlow steps on the front porchLooking out at the sun beating down on the path I’ve walked.I’m giving way to the way things are Find me at home with the front door openThese dirty jeans still look fine to meI belong to a world that's running carelessly through meI’m making pizza for breakfast Grateful for the heartache turning to lessonsI’m giving way to the way things are I’m making space on the lounge room floorI’m gonna dance like I danced before youFind me at home with the front door open These dirty jeans still look fine to meI belong to a world that's running carelessly through meI read the words of a child brokenAnd let her howl like a wolf releasedShe belongs to a world that's running carelessly through me

7.

Oh shit! Oh no, no, no,My mind went walking where it should not go.I've woken up shocked and surprised,But interestingly, unbelievably satisfiedSo what do I do when I have to see youWhen I have to see you and be fine?And what do I say? Getting carried awayCause you showed me yours last nightAnd I showed you mine.Oh shit! Oh, goodness me.You've felt the need to ask me why I'm acting so peculiarlyAnd though I tried, I squirmed and I lied,Can't look you in the eye cause of this kinky little sex dream of mineYou say 'Hey, it's okay. You know you can say anything'I say 'fine', let out a sigh and roll my eyesMy mind shouts 'NO!' but I take a deep breath and let go..'Last night I dreamt of you and me, getting down, getting dirtyNow every time you look at me I can't escape the memories And I know that it was just a dream but it felt really real, you seeNow I feel like I've seen your penis...... Instant regret telling you this...'But you leaned in and gave me a kissI could get used to this.Two months, look at us nowYou're so wonderful I'll let you keep a toothbrush at my houseNow what do I do? Cause I'm falling for youAnd you seem to think that I'm alright.You take me on dates and everydayYou show me yours - in real life - and I show you mineYou show me yours and I show you mine.

8.

Shine Through I was two, I held the brush you held my handWe paint a picture of the lemon treeI was five, I climbed the bench To add a bag of chocolate chips into your recipeAnd I saw you see me and then pretend not toAs you smile and see yourself in everything I doAnd as we grow older I see myself tooAnd I’m proud of my reflection when you shine throughYour clock begins to chime, we’re back in time And soon you’ll find out if you got that jobSuddenly I’m on your page, we’re the same ageAnd now I see why you visit 1962 so oftenWhen I know you still see me and take me with you As you smile and see yourself in everything I doAnd as we grow older I see myself tooAnd I’m proud of my reflection when you shine throughBut its getting harder to pretend this isnt getting worseAnd I could kill the woman that stole money from your purseI can feel you leaving, just stuck inside a loopWhat I wouldn't do just to rescue youYou’re starting to forget, so a birthday each week is what I’ll getAnd I love itWhen you're singing to me and you take me with youAs you smile and see yourself in everything I doAnd as we grow older I see myself tooAnd I hold on to the moments that you shine through. You’re 89, you hold the brush I hold your handWe paint a picture of the open seaAnd soon you won't remember me.

9.

The Love We Had I found a letter that you wrote to me one hundred years agoOne you’d left on the kitchen bench I felt a moment of our hearts come running back to meRight through the dust that never came to restI know it didn’t end well and I’m sorryI was careless, I was only Thinking of myself and didn’t know how to break your heart kindly.We never really meant to leave it openBut we left with words unspoken And when the hurt took holdThe truth let go and it left the pieces broken But I wanna remember you before it all went badFor the love we hadWe were playing house and we were revelling in being grown ups Tickets to the world at lastWe’d live out our karaoke dreams with wooden spoons For hours in showers, pictionary on a foggy glassIm sorry cause I know it didn’t end wellI’ve been over every detailBut it makes it worse to scribble out versesWhen we were never a fairy tale We never really meant to leave it openBut we left with words unspoken As the hurt took hold, the truth let goAnd we left the pieces broken I wanna remember you before it all went badI want to remember you for the love we hadI know it didn’t end well and I’m sorry

10.

Dream Big You are the sun in our solar systemYou’re every star that glistens and swaysEvery colour of the Milky Way I look for words I’ve never heard ofFor the amount of love is absurd so what can I say It’s melting me away One day when you’re olderI know you will tower overMeasuring me up to your shouldersBut for now I’ll just hold you While you rest your body on my chest Dream big my loveJust beyond this windowA whole world awaits you, my babeDream big my loveOf all the places we’ll goJust beyond this windowA whole world awaits you my loveWe have a magic string that ties usNo matter how far we find ourselves away I’d still feel you in outer spaceWe’re losing days here let’s just lingerWith your hand around my fingerEvery day you’re growing bigger And I’m writing songs to sing youWhile you rest your body on my chest Dream big my loveJust beyond this windowA whole world awaits you, my babeDream big my loveOf all the places we’ll goJust beyond this windowA whole world awaits you my loveDream big my loveOf all the places we’ll goJust beyond this windowA whole world awaits you my love