Big river
The Darling is just another beastsecreted in shade.Hangabout leaf thatriver is almost embarrassed at the space it occupies —professionally shocked to be spotteddespite the camouflage dust itwears to wander beneath notice.
One vein for all livingbut not interestedin grand acclamations.Such tinnitus is human,unworthy of a ripple herewhere even the treesare transitory.
It scrawlson the grey-soil plains.This consecrated vellumis read by cockatoos. A lethargic loam is too thinfor gods or garnish —last will & testament there's fearwhere there's nothing.
Men are busy — we pump & preen aboutthis unknowable saline belly.Eagles understand the deathsthat feed any cycle.
Further south more weirs & bridges cagea living this dissonance.But it moves on despite all subornation,blue in its pocket& no sense of contention.Meanders towards Antarcticain 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 ryeand 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 meas a childhow they survived,leather-skinnedold lizards,their tough grey hidesfocused inwardson the pale flamedrawn up, drawnup their thin framesfrom 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.