wimmera roadsong
on th left hand side
we have th left hand side
& on th right
we have th right hand side
& a silo straight ahead
flat roads lead to friday night
they rolled their car & are dead
th wheatfields they are young & green
th donald farmer shakes his head
th racecourse is brown in warracknabeal
hopetoun streets are red
th lake's dry out of rainbow
& th cockies
(that's th birds, not th farmers)
look well fed
on th left hand side
we have th left hand side
& on th right
we have th right hand side
& a silo straight ahead
th barber's sweeping main street
lest we forget avenue
now th second barber's sweeping main street
butcher shops like marble too
yesterday's marked down at th bakery
& th river looks like stew
on th left hand side
we have the left hand side
& on th right
we have th right hand side
& a silo straight ahead
two kids share one ice-cream
another brief lick at th drought
when th dirt blows there's no fence
that will keep th dirt out
only stars hang in th window
roos, moving south
I heard Eric Beach read this poem in a Collingwood gallery a few weeks back and was just blown away by it. What a performer he is. He lives in Minyip now (about four hours away from Melbourne) so we just don't get to hear him as much as we would like. This poem comes from his book – Weeping For Lost Babylon which was published by Angus & Robertson in association with Paper Bark Press 1996.
For more about Eric have a look at this site.
http://www.the-write-stuff.com.au/archives/vol-2/index.html
If you would like to read other Tuesday Poems click the quill icon above.
Hey I just joined, you may know me as Harv's lady, or you may know me as Emma, I prefer Emma Markala in this case, where can I send you some writing electronically? Sure it's obvious but not to little old me :) Also, great site, great idea.
ReplyDeleteAlso, could we have the 'who is this site for?' geographically enlarged to include Finland, please? Otherwise I fear I am trespassing.
ReplyDeletehi and welcome emma - where does it say that it excludes finland? - i am new to this blogging lark and can't see it - send me stuff via facebook eh
ReplyDeleteas usual, that's a wonderful poem by Eric.
ReplyDeleteWow, incredibly powerful poem - thanks for sharing. You always manage to post some amazing contemporary poets, Jennifer - love dropping by and exploring a new poet.
ReplyDeleteGreat poem by Eric - I haven't heard him read for too many years.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine this really rocking as a performance poem! I love the way that small town/rural Australia feel comes through!
ReplyDeleteI just want to read more of his work. I can really hear the song of the poem. Marvelous.
ReplyDeletethey rolled their car & are dead
ReplyDeletehow country ! we all know someone who did that and it was sheer luck that we weren't the dead ones. drinking long necks in brown paper bags and driving home from the footy / netball eight in a car no seat belts