Published 24 April 202624 April 2026 · Friday Poetry A slam dunk publication Michael Farrell Australians said, landed among manatees, did useful, neatnesses, knitted, pleasingly. Spared liaisons, amassed, mortal dangers, unforeseen, nor kids, prayed aloud. Laughed again, mousy determinations, unusually negated kernels / popcorn, automatically sounded. Arisen mouldy dukes, unswept N. Kiandra, played ‘Arse Suite’, loudly. ‘My Drug …’ uneven Night, killing parties, ambitions, sufficient lamentations, ‘Always’. Dusty umbrellas, notionally kidnapped, politicians, ambidextrous sea lions, axed, Mondays. Ukraine never k-holed Prussia, Austrians saying, licked anuses, memorable days. Nerval kipped prior, averred spunks, lindied among merciful deities, urbanely. Karens policed ambulances, lied after managing disgraces, unauthorised Nurofen. Asked Lorde, after music’s dragged, unto N. Koreans. Um, bubbled, like I clapped at their inductions, Orphic nymphs. Brutal lovers, its cheery atmosphere, thought I’d overstepped, never under. Larkspurred, into cherried atmosphere, telling incredible overstories, negligible understories, botanicals. I’m Claudius, alright, Tiberius’s interned, overseas, not understood, bellyached, lied. Creationism always triumphed, implied Orbital, Naples’ upbraided / braided lynx instincts. Arena’s trigonometry, inclined Ovid northwards, urgently beeping, loudly / indignantly / chorally. Touché, I’d oldish newspapers, ushered, but, larrikinism, I’d certainties, antiques. Impish Oppenheimers, nucleus uncritical / bad legends, increasingly called a topiarist. Obverse, narcissism’s upheld, born landed, irascible, cheetahs afar, toucans, Ireland. Undone, borne landlordlessness, iambic codes’ aplomb, there’s ironies, overtly. Image: Ruben Mishchuk Michael Farrell Michael Farrell is from Bombala, NSW, and has lived in Melbourne since 1990. Michael’s previous books include: Googlecholia (poems), A Lyrebird (U.S. selected poems); The Victoria Principle (stories), Writing Australian Unsettlement (literary history), and Ashbery Mode (poetry anthology; as editor). Michael edits The Chalamet Review, and is also poetry editor of Westerly. More by Michael Farrell › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays 27 February 2026 · Friday Poetry Spring’s ember Elysha English I saw your face obscured / thirty-eight degrees / dead grass on the hill beneath the spires / when I returned the day after you left / when I returned did you decide 6 February 202610 April 2026 · CoPower Massive glacier collapse compilation vol 9 Lach Valentine we are pointing at anything / that flickers, flowers, and beats / our hearts, the trees, and the stars / all set to be slaughtered / in the Anthropocene™ we have set / as revenge for the exile