Ben Michell is a poet based in Melbourne.

drive through

for chris gadsby

nice town that one,

  real nice,          to drive through.

     can yer even remember it’s name?

west wyalong mighta been it.

        and the birds:

cockatoos             galahs

                pigeons           parrots

birds of all descriptions.

the most torturous

thing was they flew

straight for the flaming

windscreen.

     ‘cause that was wheat country

         where the trucks leave

what birds eat

       all over the road

                when they

drive through

with romance on

their minds

& their hands

                    in their laps

remembering

                  that girl

              the one with

          potential,

                  that girl whose boyfriend

comes home                         grunting

every night:  “we just been piggin’ doll”

remembering

                  never

having the courage to

say:

     “don’t get stuck with

                        that bloke,

  he wont do anything

                             withya.”

just

drive through, get pissed

&

leave a hole

you can’t fill with

      his pile of empty tinnies.