Kimberley
(for Stephen Scourfield)
A Wandjina moon levitates
Above the rocky river’s tree-line.
Dusty with history and starlight,
Ghosts of the Duracks muster shadows.
Modernity is a road-train’s
Decibels in the acoustic gorges.
Then, a cinnamon raptor rises on
Thermals of luminous silence,
The bird’s shadow climbing,
The landscape’s endless high narrative.
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
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