Bed Bug Dreaming
Hundreds of red laser dots
pepper my chest and back
invisible assailants insect ninjas
no whizzing or warning whirrs
bites so unfelt no swat is possible
evolution has taught these
to crawl softly sip shallow
strike and flee
(leaving no trace of pun)
I run my hand over clustered lumps
the child in me connects the dots for a treasure map
the blind Seer senses a lesson in red Braille
the old mystic traces constellations
here Orion there The Dipper
and lower—ah! the Great Jumping Flea.
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