vertebrae honed to a point

backbone’s ridge disintegrating

the sharp edge loses focus

drifts off

bleeding into sky

 

 

 

these microboulders rolled

up and over

knife’s crest

 

southern ocean Sisyphus

time’s lesson in

persistence

 

a parable of sand

 

this relentless wind

 

air molecules

drum ears and hollows

roar defiance

 

as sirens

beckon sailors,

 

move mountains

a grain at a time

 

 

 

© rob walker

 

originally published as ‘Persistence, Dunes, Perlubie Beach’ in Famous Reporter #31, Dec 2005, this inspired the composition “dunes” by Belinda Gehlert which was first performed by rob walker and Zephyr String Quartet at the concert Resonance, Adelaide, Oct, 2007. The poem also appears in micromacro.