Here, history is a chromatic chord in the
double-quick sunsets of wintered days.

They say the quick is the most sensitive part.
This is rapid too.

Light ghost-gliding delicate on lake,
pastel chalks powdered on the chilly low-slung hills,
deciduous trees stripped bare, part-submerged
(dark fairies water-floating),
reflections perfect as a death.

Yet, curious and queer,
this is life lived quick –
ten minutes and you’ve missed it. The whole show.

Rewind (quickly) to before I descend towards the bank.
Not here the false calm of the plaza after Sunday closing
(car park empty; neon glow on brick horizon; haste to leave)
rather tranquillity’s apotheosis trending:
liminality lingers at lake edge,
light’s ebb and dark desire,
soft lilt of lake sprites calling,
sirens signalling from the other side –
history’s promise beckons quick in pansied light.

Lakeside, George is long gone at twilight.
Quick, sixty thousand years rewinds
and water does not flow from this place.

Sunset holds brief – subdued rainbow light –
each bird still and shadowed, each unheard.
Sediment historic, endorheic,
projects reflections
perfect as a death.

* What is now Lake George, north-east of Canberra, was known as Werriwa to the local indigenous people. It is also sometimes referred to as Weereewa.

***

Andrew is a Naarm/Melbourne poet who ruminates on politics, travel and the human condition. He published his first book of poetry, Soul Moves, in 2018 and has had poems published in a number of other magazines, anthologies and outlets including Blue Nib, Bowen Street Press, Pocketry, n SCRIBE and dSCRIBE. Andrew is occasionally active within the Spoken Word community in Melbourne. https://www.facebook.com/andrewbrionpoetry/ https://andrewbrionpoetry.wordpress.com/

P76 issue 9: Poetries of place/ displacement/ diaspora/ odyssey: On-line Edition. Table of Contents

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