Big river
The Darling is just another beast
secreted in shade.
Hangabout leaf that
river is almost embarrassed at the space it occupies —
professionally shocked to be spotted
despite the camouflage dust it
wears to wander beneath notice.
One vein for all living
but not interested
in grand acclamations.
Such tinnitus is human,
unworthy of a ripple here
where even the trees
are transitory.
It scrawls
on the grey-soil plains.
This consecrated vellum
is read by cockatoos. A lethargic loam is too thin
for gods or garnish —
last will & testament there's fear
where there's nothing.
Men are busy — we pump & preen about
this unknowable saline belly.
Eagles understand the deaths
that feed any cycle.
Further south more weirs & bridges cage
a living this dissonance.
But it moves on despite all subornation,
blue in its pocket
& no sense of contention.
Meanders towards Antarctica
in a joyfully flocculent languor.
Les Wicks
none o'clock
its none o'clock,
the A-frame warm,
a day of page, of touch,
sky unzipped
the A-frame warm,
day of brie on rye
and the sky unzipped,
blue wrens flitting
day of brie on rye,
a river bank wander,
blue wrens flitting
a day of page and touch,
Schubert and doona,
none o'clock
Kevin Gillam
She-oaks
She-oaks are silent.
On the sand dunes they grow together,
but never make a forest.
They stir, in the sea wind,
grey heads nodding,
rooted in sand.
It never seemed odd to me
as a child
how they survived,
leather-skinned
old lizards,
their tough grey hides
focused inwards
on the pale flame
drawn up, drawn
up their thin frames
from silence,
the wordless thought,
that says
'alive, alive'.
R. Nugent
Over 35 years Les Wicks has performed at festivals, schools, prison etc. He has been published in over 250 different magazines, anthologies and newspapers across 15 countries in nine languages. His tenth book of poetry is Barking Wings.
Kevin Gillam is a West Australian writer with three books of poetry published, Other Gravities, Permitted to Fall and Songs sul G. He works as Director of Music at Christ Church Grammar School in Perth.
R. Nugent is a Queensland poet.