Joe Dolce: ‘The Ballad of True and False Singing’, ‘Daddy Plus One’ and ‘Empty Strollers’
The Ballad of True and False Singing
(anonymous—translated from the Italian)
When a tiny quail huddled beneath the wall,
proclaims quiet poetry in her call,
I cannot hear louder songs at all,
for singing big is not always how the singing’s measured,
but often by the soul that’s still and true,
Maestro-singers reveal treasured
declamations of God’s perfect view.
Few possess it young but all become Masters yet
in verse, ballad or canzonet.
Ah! a world of Maestros of every grace—
the poor student can barely find a place.
Joe Dolce
Daddy Plus One
for Blaise van Hecke (1968–2022)
Not my birth daughter, she was the sun,
a loss her mother can hardly bear,
she said I was her daddy plus one.
No warning, no illness, a sharp stun,
she was taken from us, so unfair,
not my birth daughter, she was the sun.
She left behind her first love, two sons,
two brothers, a sister in despair,
she said I was her daddy plus one.
We comfort each other but she’s gone,
for what’s broken,…
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