Published in Overland Issue 248 Spring 2022 · Poetry Poetry | Call in sick Gareth Morgan call in sick, 6:06 … a long cold walk in the dark body tense like the animal spirits the hand’s invisible twerk wrenching at all of it power lines and lit-up cranes liven the dock i feel old as filth. images stack up sheen gulls larrikin the dawning carpark letterboxes on the waterfront put my foot in it woosh goes the water, up curr the gulls’ errata linfox, dank palms, i feel like a minicooper deranged and orange, shiny in morning meat pie dinner with peas, gravy and mash sunrise slow like a forklift, then yellow on that hill but later maybe try cycling yeah get a mission get a journey he used to jog from preston to work in the city mon–fri this morning i saw ducks, ducklings while you all were out PB’ing found a lack of citrus amongst the new builds i too felt decorative, perforable ‘decorating each alienation’ saw a little distressed weatherboard and scrapey grey walls. thin, allergic to the world. a good stupid wall cheap and lonely and effective oh yeah but yes. tired, 7:07 climbing undistressed steps, sluggish going up a myna’s safety yellow beak and feet on the nature strip rosellas on the power line kissing, sharing breakfast i buy coffee and am knocked out solemn backyard wreckage Gareth Morgan Gareth Morgan is the author of When A Punk Becomes A Spunk and Dear Eileen, and co-director of Sick Leave. More by Gareth Morgan › 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 7 March 20257 March 2025 · Poetry 3 songs for Charles Darwin John Forbes begins with languor, / the past tense of caress / which, besides flies & heat haze / post stress, / the intense air supplies — no ostrich feather fans / or punkahs needed — just to be at rest. 14 February 202514 February 2025 · Poetry 9 to 5 Dave Drayton volunteer to clown / undermine an award / construct to heave / interfere in class / dismantle if civil / disregard no cause / freelance at ennui