The Adorant
Totally naked, with shaven head,
he stands before his god
with an offering of fish.
Brought straight from the sea
their scales glisten
blue and gold.
Who is the boy
and who is the god—
unearthed in a fresco
on Akrotiri in 1600 BC?
An inscription
would help the scholars.
As it stands, the image
speaks for itself.
Does anything matter
except the purity
of his offering?
Stepping on to sand
he stands like a bountiful god himself.
The fish hang perfectly balanced
in each hand.
Santorini, 11/6/08
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