Published in Overland Issue 223 Winter 2016 · Uncategorized Quads 17–19 Chris Mansell 17 anchor sweet st ay here this sp ot this stop st ay stonestill r esting here thi s place the pla ce placid as da rk this herenes s without shift or single no ju dge shift going or coming shift ing numbers hal t reference sli ng the anchor t o the base snag it and stay her e the rock dang er known and bl isses beat like waves of sudden kisses on the s till stones day after dawn stay still anchor be stopped and her eon be a long b eat the path be aten be battene d here still st one solid balan ced balmed stay 18 or fly not to s top not a hover over tremble wi nged hesitation but move moving on over shift s and unstable sl ide unstop with out stay shambl e on out over a way somewhere n ot here gone ad rift moving not an inch but a k ilometre vastly quick not faste ned to a bolt b ut as lightning lighter than fa aster more smel t than melted l ight sliding of f the face of a once beloved no longer loved mo ve on shove ove r other lover l ight moves on s pills its overn ess wherever no care but not ti l ever over fly 19 square squantum a bit chunked o ff equal and cr isp and even co ol as angle tha t sharp interst itial cornerdom of block standb y cube the coun t one and two m ore exactly one than a circle s aying naught sq uare sits so ev en before its l eft or right th ere is no to te ll this up is o ther this other not perhaps who knows blithe on e this squat no taller than sho rt than wider n o thought all c orners taken in clipped to thei r other poked t o the brim squa re satisfy stou t angle right b ox settle state Read the rest of Overland 223 – If you liked this article, please subscribe or donate. Chris Mansell Chris Mansell is a poet. More about her work can be found at chrismansell.com. More by Chris Mansell 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 1 First published in Overland Issue 228 2 June 20232 June 2023 · Friday Poetry Three Chaingrass poems Catherine Vidler Three visual poems from Catherine Vidler's Chaingrass series. First published in Overland Issue 228 1 June 20231 June 2023 · Politics Turning peaceful protesters into criminals—again Evan Smith So the Summary Offences (Obstruction of Public Places) Bill 2023 has been passed by South Australia’s Legislative Assembly and will become law. Fifteen hours of debate in the upper house, led by the Greens and SA Best, could not overturn the bill that was reportedly rushed through the lower house in just twenty-two minutes a fortnight ago.
