Allan Lake: ‘Blue’
Blue
On a grey Thursday morning,
fourth consecutive concrete sky
since (you-figure-it-out), I settle in
at a Polish cafe where Billie Holiday
sings me into sweet plum jam
at the heart of a deliciously unholey
glazed doughnut that I hope will disperse
some mid-winter cloud or,
at least, provide a moment-
ary break. I ask little,
expect less and get
just my dessert.
Allan Lake
Many will disagree, but World War III is too great a risk to run by involving ourselves in a distant border conflict
Sep 25 2024
5 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
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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
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2 mins