Queensland Poetry Festival’s Philip Bacon Ekphrasis Award, now in its fourth year, is named after one of Australia’s premier art dealers, Philip Bacon. All the paintings used in the competition …
Painting (Joe Dolce)
She has spread canvas across the long side of the shed, and sits on a low stool, washing blue over white weave. She likes plein air, the humid day cut …
The View From Heaven (Damen O’Brien)
Tickling out of a golden universe, the native bees swarm: spots of ash in a warm wind, migraine patterns dancing. Each tiny tick and tock and black note small as …
Little Key (Judy Johnson)
It could be almost anywhere in the Middle East. The result of war or famine or …
Java Suite (Mike Ladd)
Under the transmitter towers a papaya garden receiving rain. A thousand silent swallows came. From you, no message. Feeling for the right stone in opaque water — fish-trap building. Banana tree — …
Wishbone
(Emily Crocker)
Taking your hip bones from the countertop I wish to clothe you from the linen cupboard. Organic bamboo. Modern greys. …
An Abyss of Feathers
(Anne Elvey)
memorial coin a rainbow of magic possums plays ring-a-rosie on the $2 coin she passes for the boat ride to free- dom saying listen listen to me listen to the …
Observance (Anne Casey)
To stand naked on cold stone Emptied cups cascading Past unblinded eyes As hands and feet are washed Within a sea concentric circles pooled As beneath the welling surface A …
Selective Mutism
(Alison Bennett)
she is fight or flight volcanic dynamite a raging accident that was never meant to happen so she begins to swallow her voice into pretend smiles her body now a …
Serpent (Anna Jacobson)
By the time I see you, seventy-one angels have descended from heaven, chopped off your hands and feet, split your tongue. You crawl along your belly. Vanish. By the time …