Published in Overland Issue 201 Summer 2010 · Writing / Main Posts Tank Man Eileen Chong 5 June 1989, Gate of Heavenly Peace He’d just been shopping. Nestled inside the bags were jars, tins, vegetables, maybe even a whole chicken. The road stretched empty except for the tanks. His friends would be at his door soon. He needed an hour for the bird to simmer into tenderness. Ten minutes to peel and dice the carrots, onions and ginger. Half an hour to boil the rice. But the tanks slowly advanced on swiss roll wheels. His bags were heavy. Their white handles cut. His hands grew red and riven. But he stood there, a sculpture, grown into the land. The first tank came so close its hulk blocked out the sun even as the man lifted his chin and searched out the tank’s eye. Eileen Chong Eileen Chong is an Australian poet. She is the author of eight books. Her next collection of poetry, A Thousand Crimson Blooms is forthcoming from UQP in April 2021. She lives and works on unceded Gadigal land of the Eora Nation. www.eileenchong.com.au More by Eileen Chong › 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 First published in Overland Issue 228 8 September 202315 September 2023 · Main Posts Announcing the 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize ($6500) Editorial Team Supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, and named after the late Neilma Gantner, this prize seeks excellent short fiction of up to 3000 words themed around the notion of ‘travel’; imaginative, creative and literary interpretations are strongly encouraged. This competition is open to all writers, nationally and internationally, at any stage of their writing career. First published in Overland Issue 228 8 September 202312 September 2023 · Main Posts Announcing the 2023 Judith Wright Poetry Prize ($9000) Editorial Team Established in 2007 and supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, the Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets seeks poetry by writers who have published no more than one collection of poems under their own name (that is writers who’ve had zero collections published, or one solo collection published). It remains one of the richest prizes for emerging poets, and is open to poets anywhere in the world. In 2023, the major prize is $6000, with a second prize of $2000 and a third prize of $1000. All three winners will be published in Overland.
