Phillip Hall

a sliver of crescent-shaped light

amidst all dark matter

                                    new moon new moon

digging the roots of waitawhile

– jikarri –

millad mob wash an crush an boil ta bogie

tis good healin’ culture

poor old bugger curlew chick finish

and moon foretells darkness and resurrection

but curlew sticks to wild haunting

a sneaky wailing after bush babies

ratted by the gossipy full moon

Phillip Hall worked for many years as a teacher of outdoor education and sport throughout regional New South Wales, Northern Queensland and the Northern Territory. He now resides in Melbourne’s Sunshine where he is a passionate member of the Western Bulldogs Football Club. His publications include Sweetened in Coals and (as editor) Diwurruwurru: Poetry from the Gulf of Carpentaria. He has a poetry collection forthcoming with Canberra University’s IPSI series called Borroloola Class (due for release in September 2017), while UWAP will publish Fume in February 2018. Phillip loves to cheer.