Moxham Ave
Moxham Ave
I folded my book shut primly
glanced out of the bus window
there were the big boys cycling
to school like the big boys do.
His front wheel caught in gravel
and as he fell he caught my eye
I am the last person he saw as he
fell gracefully under the wheels.
In his eyes, wild surmise, Is this?
He said I’m falling. Will I die?
I said Yes. As I reached to save him.
And then I couldn’t see him anymore.
That was one godawful, unholy crunch.
A woman stood up in the bus, screamed
That was his bike! That was his bike!
But I don’t think any of us believed her.
John Mardell ran like a wild person
up and down all the long front paths
hammering on the doors, not waiting
long enough for anyone to answer.
Much too late. We had ridden that crunch.
The driver froze in an irretrievable moment
—his foot stamped on the brake—then leapt
in an impossible arc out of his seat and into
what came next.
Jennifer Compton
Madam: Archbishop Fisher (July-August 2024) does not resist the attacks on his church by the political, social or scientific atheists and those who insist on not being told what to do.
Aug 29 2024
6 mins
To claim Aborigines have the world's oldest continuous culture is to misunderstand the meaning of culture, which continuously changes over time and location. For a culture not to change over time would be a reproach and certainly not a cause for celebration, for it would indicate that there had been no capacity to adapt. Clearly this has not been the case
Aug 20 2024
23 mins
A friend and longtime supporter of Quadrant, Clive James sent us a poem in 2010, which we published in our December issue. Like the Taronga Park Aquarium he recalls in its 'mocked-up sandstone cave' it's not to be forgotten
Aug 16 2024
2 mins