Lateral Dimensions

Les Murray

Cloudy night --

 not enough stars 

 to make frost 

haunted house --

 one room the cattle 

 never would go in 

mowing done --

 each thing's a ship again 

 on a wide green harbour 

purification --

 newspapers soaked in rain 

 before they are read 

an airliner, high --

 life falling in from space 

 to ramify 

rodeo bull 

 he wins every time 

 then back on the truck 

only one car 

 of your amber necklace 

 holds a once-living passenger 

afternoon plains --

 the only hill ahead 

 is the rising moon 

eels' 

 liquid jostle through the grass 

 that night of the year 

big pelican, begging, 

 hook through one yellow foot --

 and nobody dares 

on line 

 the first motor car 

 trotting without a horse 

joking 

 in a foreign language 

 everyone looks down 

accused of history 

 many decide 

 not to know any 

all the colours 

 of inside a pumpkin --

 Mallee forest in rain