Poetics Presents

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Poetics Presents

David Nourse

David Nourse is a retired government administrator and former part-time computer journalist who has lived in Canberra, Australia's national capital, since 1975. Dave recently joined Writers' Village University to try his hand at creative writing, especially poetry, which he finds a refreshing change from official correspondence and software reviews.

The Photograph

Today I sent a friend, far distant from these shores,
a photo of myself.
The camera caught an ageing, battered man, held captive in a wheelchair,
his grizzled hair and greying beard
sparse-stubbled like a wheatfield deep in drought.

They say the camera never lies, but this one did;
I'm not that man.

No — unchanged in essence since my early years,
I'm striving still to cross the mountain range
that stretches out before me.

These are no snowy ramparts, reaching for the heavens
with the arrogance of youth, no pretty peaks for postcards,
not in this ancient land,
but a cunning maze of crest and valley, eroded escarpments
deceitfully concealed by gloom-filled forests.

My crumpled, sweat-stained map says "Here Be Dragons" — well, not quite:
no bold adventurer would bother with this dreary place,
abounding in dead ends. I have found not a few of them...

And yet I do continue: for often there are days of light,
when the path atop the ridges stands out clear,
the mists disperse, and I can see for miles.

Copyright ©2003 by David Nourse