o murray o murray break (bending) the forgiveness of things what you (air and water) what you (bread) the place you lie down threads of the sheet that covers as if given for our breath drinking (food in us) here this night's morning things burn out past giving (too tired to forgive) the murray the murray heavy metal of retreat a bellow to set the flesh on edge a leaching (some things need to be held back) the sediment lift ash of excess seep spoil bone and flesh the invisible density of dissolution the silent lamentation of a drowning fish the o of loss o murray o murray a gull and a swan from different vantage one skimming squawking one all dip and glide and underwater webbed motor bogged by drinking food in you (given for our breath) spoils bone and flesh drowning the word in you the murray the murray in the beak of a gull threads cotton and rice too tired to forgive and sea (does it know) bends and breaks ready to admit the heavy (lifted) metal o murray o murray
29.0: PASTORAL
Poetry Editor Stuart CookeReleased December 2008
Index of Poems
Contributor Notes
Cover Image: David Prater
The second in another binary pairing, PASTORAL was meant to be Cordite's answer to SECRET CITIES but, with the introduction of open comments on the poetry in the issue, quickly transformed into a strange and captivating example of web 2.0 dialogue. Compelling, even.





