Poem: Time

Time

An artist

is working

on a painting

that expresses

his love

for his young daughter.

He is working

so hard on it, in fact,

that he is unable

to spend any time

with her.

*

A writer

is working

on a eulogy

for her dying father.

She is working

so hard on it, in fact,

that she is unable

to spend any time

with him.

Damian Balassone is the author of three volumes of poetry and reflections, in Strange Game in a Strange Land (two editions), Here, Bear and Everywhere (illustrated by Jess Racklyeft), and Chime (two editions), while his collection of short poems and epigrams, Love is a Weird Cat, is forthcoming. His poems have also appeared in more than 100 other Australian and international publications, notably in The New York Times, The Australian, The Canberra Times and The Spectator. In noting Damian’s work, Australia’s uncrowned poet laureate, Les Murray, described Damian as a ‘a virtuoso’. More about Damian and his work, can be found here.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected].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.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Isabelle Grosjeanns