Published in Overland Issue Print Issue 198 Autumn 2010 · Writing / Main Posts wide open road Michael Farrell There could be anything … elongation of a spear Needling To a sphere they think, mind suffused with honey, i reach out, hes a dead man, closing the gateness behind him. We crack the nut & Go on – Theres a Ballet in the trees What a Cool Idea, the economy flows Like a creek at our feet, with a few subtle body bags we ignore. Then i realise im not wearing my red Pin or singing ‘How do you think it feels at night!’ It gives you a bad back & a youthless appearance Sleeping with people or sheep dogs When the loneliness you love is in the Eyes of someone else youre wired We came back after a decade of Drought the briar & burdock gone trialling new forms of Outdoor glass – the schools are laying eggs now Our vehicle stops We sit on our tails Some get pads out Draw a blue sky Reflectors on the inside … You touch a locust & have a vision That were Walking along a rope not A-road the koalas Yaaawnnnnnn For the money Nurses cruise through pursued by reporters on trikes. 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 8 May 202611 May 2026 · Nakata Brophy Prize The 2026 Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers (Poetry) Editorial Team Please follow this link to enter the prize. Sponsored by Trinity College at the University of Melbourne and supporters, the Nakata Brophy Prize for Young Indigenous Writers, established in 2014 […] 6 May 20266 May 2026 · Main Posts Join the Overland Board Editorial Team Overland is looking for a Treasurer to join the board. If you care about literary culture, have governance experience and a head for finance, please consider applying. Expressions of Interest […]