Poem: Taking stock at Christmas
Books & Poetry
In this week’s Poet’s Corner, poetry editor John Miles takes a reflective look at both the stock market and Christmases past.
ASX (All Ordinaries) F/Y 2014‒15
On a Xmas package special the market pursues me across the world. Cotton futures go sour in time zones base metals plummet into freefall whilst for pure diversion down a British Columbia glacier on six-wheeled Big Brewster you go. Gold does its upward spiral, China hedges the Yuan, and the press screams the death of the bull. Crossing a date line there was no sense anymore, time is out the window, till somewhere over Alberta conversation with a fellow traveller brings Athabasca oil sands as the great new hope of the world. Catching your breath in the Maritimes at a Halifax waterfront café at sunset, a dark Keith’s Ale with battered cod and chips to die for till then away again over the Atlantic, 180° reached, that you’re now heading home not away. One last stop at that little Scottish kirk in Stonehaven where all those years ago at another Christmas you watched your best mate tie an early knot when you were both the new young Hemingways stoney broke but with pockets of dreams and a portable Smith Corona all the luggage between you to pound out the new great novel of the century to set the world ablaze. Big bird taking you home now lifting up from Aberdeen over Stonehaven over another sea then another, but looking down thoughts stay with you a while longer of his so-young widowed bride then for so shortly after a wedding meant for a lifetime dear Alec got the acute myeloid leukaemia and the world was never ever, the same again. Living on, getting older, makes you the lucky one, but also self-funding a priority, as time zones have slipped round again and its home to where the heart is and grandkids that say at Christmas, don’t ever go away again, papa.
John Miles is the poetry editor for InDaily’s Poet’s Corner. He and his wife were married in Africa 44 years ago. They have three children and six grandchildren, and he manages his own super fund.
InDaily thanks all its Poet’s Corner contributors and readers for their support during 2016 and wishes them a very merry Christmas.
Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.
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