Consider yourself found, Max, although is that meant to be 'mostly' diagonal? 'come on through' seems the
natural ending. Do you need the final six lines?
Bill
On Wed, Jul 16th, 2014 at 9:38 PM, Max Richards <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> How to Find Us
>
> If you’re in Toorak Road South Yarra
> leaving the trophy-encrusted rooms
> of the English-Speaking Union
> after a Johnson Society meeting,
>
> stimulated but exhausted keeping up
> with its lively septuagenarians,
> step south across the road, just
> to the right of the space-ship-style
>
> shiny steel public toilets, follow
> down into Fawkner Park the sealed
> path that’s most diagonal, just enjoy…
> springy turf, big old trees, in avenues -
>
> or as what get called specimens -
> stand-alone monuments, so magnificent
> they seem magnanimous too,
> Johnsonian, with Latinate names.
>
> If it’s earlier and a week-day, watch
> for school children in dapper uniform
> on the way to their first class,
> saddled with uniform backpacks.
>
> Maybe their mother follows them,
> slower because her youngest’s
> in a stroller. She’d appreciate a smile,
> and a remark about her heroism.
>
> Small boy on small bike: paused
> with hand on tree-trunk, pushes off:
> it’s downhill all the way free-wheel.
> Coming home this afternoon uphill
>
> he’ll need all his pedalling strength.
> Between the soccer posts observe,
> in from the bay, a thousand
> squalling seagulls perform their
>
> world-cup-worthy shenanigans.
> Skirt the tennis pavilion’s courts where
> the plunk of balls off racquets sounds
> most days, even in winter drizzle, under
>
> bright lights, long into the night.
> Now you’re getting near us -
> we’re in the old low block of flats
> between those stark office buildings.
>
> Ring me now, we’ll meet just
> at the gate from the park.
> I’ll unlock it, shake hands, maybe
> we'll hug - come on through.
>
> You’ve left South Yarra - this
> is Melbourne three double-o four.
> That’s the sound of trams clanging
> along St Kilda Road beyond.
>
> Upstairs with us, you’ll say How quiet,
> how blest, amidst such good things.
>
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