Two Poems by Les Murray

Mythology

A stupefying peak crack

across boiling air miles,

instantaneously annulled. That

was one of the Lightning brothers.

Brilliant longer than their lifetimes

they exist in orgasm only.

Between, they’re air’s memory

of climax. Death rays hid in hum.

Who’ll fish the blind scrawl of lightning

out of Life’s mouth, that old clay golem?

Eye-jabbing forerunners of live wire

their yield’s that mirror perfume

mounting up to tame the Sun.

The End of Symbol

From a cinder in the far blue

a wedgetail eagle used to magnify

down into arrival, into belief,

matching speeds with a boy as he

rode his bike through suburban Melbourne,

then it would fold double and alight

on his handlebars, its inarguable expression

never ruffled, but its flickknife pinions

dilating around curves, and it would

chicken-peep near inaudibly when he

caressed it beneath the flames of its neck.