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