14: ZOMBIE

Ian McBryde: Alongside

There is no grip
stricter than history.

The bare bed, the light
turned out too soon.

Where the stairs end.
A tired nightnurse doing

half-hearted rounds
past mostly empty cots.

Unfillable stillnesses.
The absence of hands

on us. The vacant breast,
no name in the only book.

Canadian-born Ian McBryde has been well-published both in Australia and many countries overseas. His fourth collection of poetry, Equatorial, was published 2001, and he has just released his second CD of spoken-word, entitled The Still Company. His next collection of poetry, Domain will be released by Five Islands Press in 2004.