Published in Overland Issue 211 Winter 2013 · Uncategorized The swallows in Saint Peter’s Square Luke Whitington The swallows refuse to assist My eye’s dismissal, tip toeing in the air Like the minnows, suspended in the stream Of the moment, they hover then let go And descend to slowly rise again, no flying monk Could pull and allow his bells to topple Roll over so eloquently as these unconscious ballerinas of the air. The priests that flow in pairs from St Peters sway out across the square And hardly lift their heads toward these tiny pendulums of flight They grip their rosaries against the risk of an uncertain sky And turn down the avenue in files; fluttering rags of darkness toward approaching night. And as always I remain in this apricot-smudged square of Rome And love to watch this autumnal show, the departure of the swallows Signalled by their silent play, my eyes a little saddened Want their farewell to be over quickly, my mind tucking away their salutations But my heart tugs against this dismissal, hypnotised By this continual swinging rhythm, a serenade to autumn A flock of birds’ last ballet in the changing rusts of light Through a crowded gateway, time threaded for the traveller’s eyes. Luke Whitington Luke Whitington lives in Sydney and Canberra. He has been published in journals and newspapers in Ireland and Australia. More by Luke Whitington › 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 5 February 20255 February 2025 · Art A poetic argument for restitution: Isaac Julien at the MCA Sarah Schmidt Once Again... (Statues Never Die) invites viewers to engage deeply, rewarding those willing to invest time contemplating its layered narratives. Transformative in its complexity, seductive in its visual literacy, it offers a space for empathy, education, and debate, emphasising how museums can serve as platforms for confronting contested histories and inspiring social change. 4 February 20254 February 2025 · Indigenous Australia Teaching Palestine on stolen Indigenous lands Charlotte Mertens Refusal is not only possible, it generates different worlds. Refusal insists on the possibility of alternative anti-colonial futures and ways of being. Refusing the University’s erasure of Palestine involves a collective effort in thinking on how we will teach Palestine, the ongoing settler colonial violence and what this means for a place like Australia.
