Visiting Geneva
I came to Geneva
by the bullet train,
up from church kero lamps—
it must have been the bullet train.
I rolled in on a Sunday
to that jewelled circling city
and everything was closed
in the old-fashioned way.
In the city of Palais
and moored Secretariat
I arrived in spring when
the Ferraris come out
but John Calvin, unforgiver
in your Taliban hat
you pervade bare St Peters
in la France protestante,
refuge of the Huguenots,
Courtauld, Pierrepoint, Haszard,
boers Joubert and Marais,
Brunel’s young Isambard
and their black segmented lord
Rohan, curled on his tomb lid:
roi ne puis, sujet ne daigne
that Perfect Captain said.
Calvin, padlock of the sabbath,
your followers now protect you:
predestination wasn’t yours, they claim,
nor were the Elect you,
but: when you were God
sermons went on all day
without numen or presence.
Children were denied play.
I loved your moral snobbery
but the spirits you relied on
turned atheist long ago.
Come to Italy, messer John.
roi ne puis, sujet ne daigne: I can’t be king, I scorn to be subject (motto of the Dukes de Rohan)
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