“And man shall be just that for the overman:
a laughing-stock or a painful embarrassment…”
— Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra
At the outset, let me just say this:
this poem has Tourette’s — it wanted to be
a swear bear so I let it be — an MA15 poem
[Medium level profanity, mild
nudity] — a Kevin Rudd
of a poem & in it Sergei Bubka says fuck
yeah Steve Hooker’s awesome
as he lines up & GOES
FOR GOLD with his ginger
ringlets & bung knee
with his special pole shipped
through monsoons
to nama-fucken-ste the docks
Hooker pulls up proud,
flushed & elated & post-meet says
if some competitors are Delhi
no-shows that’s a matter
for their conscience, an elite
athlete’s soundbiting way
to say “weak as piss”
respectfully for the news.
Polite people
everywhere (chef de bloody mission
Steve Monaghetti fr example) think (& sometimes
say) if you use cuss words in your work
(& not substitutes eg ‘pish’ or ‘tosh’)
it’s poor language command,
reflects badly on the team 1st, you 2nd, yr
family, yr school, yr nation, & so
the message goes down the shitter.
“Fuck ’em” says this poem & Kevin Rudd
says “ratfuck ’em” which is better
yet. Possibly best. Lolz I overpromised
on the nudity. Apols.
Blinkie ‘Bill’ O’Malley
Born in the wild. Raised by koalas. Founded Wandin Valley.
Les Murray.
Close!
A plagiarist.
I couldn’t say …
A poet whose work appears in this year’s Newcastle Poetry Prize anthology.
I don’t know Corey – as far as I know, Blinky’s work has been anthologised on at least one occasion, but that was a few years back.
Peter Minter.
You’re very close indeed, Dennis – although if I told you why, that would make it too easy.
Robert Adamson?
Not so close.
Kate Fagan?
Okay, not that close.
Nathan Sheperdson.
Not even close.
Lionel Fogarty
We wish!
Laurie Duggan
Nein.
michael brennan?
nyet.
Michael Brennan.
Nyet nyet.
Adrian Wiggins
adrian wiggins
Adrian Wiggins.
Finally, we have a winner! Actually, three winners! This poem, just like the four others published under the name of Blinky ‘Bill’ O’Malley, was written by none other than Cordite founding editor Adrian Wiggins.