In Barcelona
I awoke to see a tall dark beauty
standing by the bed.
West Indian, perhaps, with high cheek bones,
a feather in her stylish cap.
Being an aficionado of the Bard
I murmured,
Oh you wonder, are you a maid
or what?
Immediately it was clear
that she was not.
I watched her sliding back
into the mirror
(a dark shadow) from whence
she came.
As light insinuated outlines
to the room,
the wardrobe slowly opened,
the mirror turned its back,
the space that she had blessed
was wholly black.
Ron Pretty
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