"– they’re high, now, high and higher, over the land, the steaming chow mein,
their shadows are tracing the blue curve of the Pacific
with sorrowful quick fingers, heading south, heading east,
home, home, home —"
In this poem Dawe describes the death toll of Australia's combat in Malaysia. All the bodies are being brought home by plane. He compares the land they're flying over to chow mein, reducing it to a stereotype as if he can't see past the unfamiliar culture to the personhood of the people. As they fly home, the planes look triumphant but really are pitiful things since they carry nothing but bodies in defeat.
"And when I say eyes right I want to hear
those eyeballs click and the gentle pitter-patter
of falling dandruff you there what's the matter
why are you looking at me are you a queer?"
A commanding officer is delivering a lecture to his subordinates in this excerpt. He snaps orders at them, riddled with insults. When he tells them to look right, he scans every man's eyes for compliance. One man still stares at him. This initiates the insult.
"Anyway, pretty soon he was old enough to be
realistic like every other godless
money-hungry back-stabbing miserable
so-and-so, and then it was goodbye stars and the soft
cry in the corner when no-one was looking because
I'm telling you straight, Jim, it's Number One every time
for this chicken, hit wherever you see a head and
kick whoever's down, well thanks for a lovely
evening Clare, it's good to get away from it all
once in a while, I mean it's a real battle all the way
and a man can't help but feel a little soiled, himself,
at times, you know what I mean?"
With one breathtaking sentence Dawe describes the heavy realization of adulthood. His protagonist grows up in this excerpt. He's suddenly hit with the need to provide for his family and joins the rat race, becoming aware of the corruption and greed of the people around him. The poor guy tries to keep it together as best he can, merely inserting the odd comment of frustration to his fellow adults at dinner parties amid vapid compliments and meaningless observations. Welcome to adulthood.
"One constant in a world of variables
- A man alone in the evening in his patch of vegetables,
and all the things he takes down with him there"
In this poem, Dawe describes a man who dutifully looks after his garden each day. The man finds solace in the consistency of the work, where he can be alone and can make certain expectations for himself. It's a safe place for the man to consider what's on his mind without interruption or complication.
