As part of my work with Salt (and also for my own benefit) I’ve been meeting some Melbourne writers.
Photo by Michael Reynolds
Monday
Lights on in The Rising Sun.
The men take their places
first pints paid, four pallid faces
recreate the day’s news.
Tabloid papers provide them their views.
Opinions pixelated with red-top revelations
sensationalised migrations, big tits
and cheap vacations.
Then silence drips.
Four lives pass by with every sip.
I performed at the open-mic section of The Spinning Room last night. It was an excellent hour of readings, with at least twelve performers putting in two minute appearances.
I read two poems - ‘Monday’ - which I forgot I had written until I found it in my journal yesterday morning, and ‘Away from the city’. Both poems I had never performed before, but seemed to go down well with the audience.
Unfortunately I couldn’t stay to see Geoff Lemon’s feature performance, but I’m sure he was as awesome as ever.
While in Melbourne, I’ll be keeping a blog for Salt Publishing. Basically it involves me meeting poets, talking to them about all kinds of stuff, and writing about it in a blog:
Salt Office Life - Salt’s Australian adventure
If you don’t know about Salt Publishing, check out their website, it’s awesome: www.saltpublishing.com
It’s six-o-clock at the Shanghai Dumpling Restaurant
and a couple have just finished eating.
Their soy-splattered table is wiped with one white napkin.
At the counter TABLE 10 is torn from the wooden ruler
as the old man pushes in the price.
The couple pay and leave into the autumn evening.
The picture on her mug is of an open window.
Through the window is a farmhouse with red bricks and a thatched roof with tall chimneys. The fields are freckled with sheep and daisies.
Inside her mug is tea. Poured this morning. Half-drunk.
On the pavement below two people are shouting. Cars stand still. Construction drills filter between engines.
Through the window a lawnmower coughs its way through lengths of bright green grass.
