Poem: West
Books & Poetry
This week’s Poet’s Corner features the third of three consecutive contributions from Peter Roberts.
West
Near Ceduna, South Australia, 1985
Two young men – we were two
young men on a hot trip toward
the Indian Ocean (which neither
of us had ever seen) to swim its
warm and cordial surf. Last stop
for provisions at Ceduna yet time
to gaze at the cyan sea of Murat
Bay, Nuyts Archipelago – to sight
rare white-faced storm petrels
or short-tailed shearwaters, both
endangered like youth, holed up
on St Peter Island. Absent waves
but Stuka flies. Next the Nullarbor,
full of empty and rumours. We’d
no idea of the challenges ahead –
craving a destination to guide us,
a virtue that we both jettisoned
later, but good for now ‒ fleeing
the façade of the east coast to
find our country. Two young
men, just two young men –
ripening in the sun.
Peter Roberts lives in Melbourne. He enjoys poetry “that bounces and surprises, and that most of all is accessible”. He has been published in a range of national and international journals, most recently W-Poesis, Catchment and The Beatnik Cowboy, and is currently Poet-in-Residence at the Louis Joel Arts Centre in Hobson Bay, West Melbourne, where, among other things, he produces a monthly podcast titled Louis Joel Poetry Pod, released on each full moon on Spotify.
Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au.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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