Small Hours
Always the same dream, it pleases me:
Narcissus in his favorite sport coat
reading his favorite lyric poet,
“it is fitting and just,” he says
adding, “dignus et justum est”
because he is a spiritual fellow, and laughs
looking at me, because I am he and he is me
and my own jokes are funny, to me
before I am startled by the sun,
like my husband, very near,
breathing on me,
not a reflection. The real thing
moving into tomorrow.
Luminous. Like the clock.
Ashley Martin
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