Mocco Wollert: ‘I like little men’ and ‘Watching Cassandra Sleep’
I like little men
I like little men who ride high horses,
little women who stop their gallops,
small violins louder than storm
for small is the power of all.
I like little children who stamp big feet,
little dogs whose bark shakes the ground
small houses tall like the sky
for small is bigger than big.
I like little planets who dwarf large stars,
little moons that fill giant black holes,
icy worlds burning the shadows
for small is not little but ever big.
I like little women who carry the world,
little hands holding eternal reigns,
little bodies stronger than titans
for small is the power of all.
Mocco Wollert
Watching Cassandra Sleep
She lies naked on the bed,
a cherub who became flesh;
sucking her thumb spasmodically
she satisfies primeval needs.
In later years, after her lover
leaves her, she’ll sprawl again,
veiled in the scent of sea.
Will she stretch like Scarlett,
remembering the night
Rhett made her a woman?
Will there be arms to hold
her adult, sleep-warm body
or only damp, cold sheets?
Mocco Wollert
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