for Bazra - poet, activist and editor of TWOT - who was burnt to death near his shed in NSW, far away from here
Today hottest record November since weather began
today the burn inversion of head in the sand
the land quota of here-burn to make history of ends
this historical day, this array of false apples and Sky News suns,
this star chamber of aesthetics to claim a poet's line when it suits
and damn other poets and thinkers to the pit of 'alarmism'
on a day when feature is absolving though a list of 'historic fire events'
and a snarl at those who say ash will pile on ash and point to increase of ash
in the land of 'fire and drought' they'd repossess via dispossession
their love of capital vents fuels updraft only to lose pace
through lack of oxygen today hottest record since weather began
the stooge of capital demonstrates a predictable blame
of conflagration on those who see tree script against colonial
fire usurping Aboriginal fire culture to claim pattern to claim 'to be expected'
furious at climate activists as a poet dies near a shed died alone death unknown —
died alone without laurels and plaudits given out
by the machine of grace and favour wink and a nod
shadow-makers — alone with poems in the head,
liked by the community, unyielding to capitalism.
We knew him and his wild ideology his distrust of power.
Today hottest record November since weather began
today the burn inversion of head in the sand
and we think in mirage and melt and siccative art
kept in tins in chemical factory warehouses. Ash
of denial ash of trees and body and yes even air
burnt ash wavering as the wind turns about comes
about and the don't-speak-during-the-crisis brigade
push eulogies to ends controlled by the living.
today the burn inversion of head in the sand
the land quota of here-burn to make history of ends
this historical day, this array of false apples and Sky News suns,
this star chamber of aesthetics to claim a poet's line when it suits
and damn other poets and thinkers to the pit of 'alarmism'
on a day when feature is absolving though a list of 'historic fire events'
and a snarl at those who say ash will pile on ash and point to increase of ash
in the land of 'fire and drought' they'd repossess via dispossession
their love of capital vents fuels updraft only to lose pace
through lack of oxygen today hottest record since weather began
the stooge of capital demonstrates a predictable blame
of conflagration on those who see tree script against colonial
fire usurping Aboriginal fire culture to claim pattern to claim 'to be expected'
furious at climate activists as a poet dies near a shed died alone death unknown —
died alone without laurels and plaudits given out
by the machine of grace and favour wink and a nod
shadow-makers — alone with poems in the head,
liked by the community, unyielding to capitalism.
We knew him and his wild ideology his distrust of power.
Today hottest record November since weather began
today the burn inversion of head in the sand
and we think in mirage and melt and siccative art
kept in tins in chemical factory warehouses. Ash
of denial ash of trees and body and yes even air
burnt ash wavering as the wind turns about comes
about and the don't-speak-during-the-crisis brigade
push eulogies to ends controlled by the living.
John Kinsella [from a poem-dialogue with Kwame Dawes]
