The houses those suburbs could afford
were roofed with old savings books, and some
seeped gravy at stitches in their walls;
some were clipped as close as fury,
some grimed and corner-bashed by love
and the real estate, as it got more vacant,
grew blady grass and blowfly grass, so called
for the exquisite lanterns of its seed,
and the land sagged subtly to a low point,
it all inclined way out there to a pit
with burnt-looking cheap marble edges
and things and figures flew up from it
like the stones in the crusher Piers had
for making dusts of them for glazes:
flint, pyroclase, slickensides, quartz, schist,
snapping, refusing, and spitting high
till the steel teeth got gritty corners on them
and could grip them craw-chokingly to grind.
It's their chance, a man with beerglass-cut arms
told me. Those hoppers got to keep filled. A girl,
edging in, bounced out cropped and wrong-coloured
like a chemist's photo, crying. Who could blame her
among in-depth grabs and Bali flights and phones?
She was true, and got what truth gets.
I can feel the “True Blue” Australian in your words. Wonderful to read and to view your Poet page. Thank you
The real estate! ! ! ! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
Excellent poetry. 'like a chemist's photo, crying. Who could blame her among in-depth grabs and Bali flights and phones? She was true, and got what truth gets. '...is pure delight to read. Thanks for sharing.
like the stones in the crusher Piers had for making dusts of them for glazes: flint, pyroclase, slickensides, quartz, schist, a very fine poem. tony
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
The narration of the house and it's surroundings is simply superb. A well deserved selection as modern poem of the Day.