At the start of the pandemic Yusef sent Laren three tercets—nine lines—and asked her to add nine lines and send it back. They have been exchanging in this way throughout this time. In this excerpt the first three tercets are Yusef’s, the next three are Laren’s, and so on.
Our self-isolation isn’t like an outback
farm I read about by Judith Wright.
I remember the mom & dad were dead,
two young children left there, growing
into themselves, & the forever stockman
seemed aboriginal, a hard worker, going
into themselves, & the forever stockman
seemed aboriginal, a hard worker, going
hectare by hectare, day & night, becoming
merely the landscape. The brother & sister,
did they cook saucy victuals & waltz to 78s?
merely the landscape. The brother & sister,
did they cook saucy victuals & waltz to 78s?
