A World of Two

Half-defeated
then trickling away…

Your phone sounds
insidious creeping

into our union
prised apart

our world of two
is now exposed

martyrdom for you
a reliquary for me

a black eyelash
false remains

hair ties gathered
from the bed

I have bubble wrap
I’ll help you move

her furniture’s here
she’ll be back

Keep the drawing
and the guitar

Broken dreams
I’ll miss the cat

I’m painting the house
it’s dark inside

boxes collapse
as everything does

it’s over now
she’s moving on.

Anthony Camm lives in Ballarat. With a degree in Social Science from La Trobe University and graduate and post-graduate qualifications in art history and art curatorship from Melbourne University, he has followed a career in the arts and cultural sector. He is presently the manager of the Eureka Centre, at the historic site of the Eureka Stockade, prior to which he served for 11 years as eirector of the Ararat Gallery TAMA. Journalling and songwriting have also been strong personal pleasures. His writing on art has appeared in Art Monthly Australia, Eyeline and in numerous exhibition catalogues.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.