This Way Up

by Penny Boxall

My aim is Australia.  
Disregard the obstacles, the fact 
that my antipodes is actually 
an unlanded Pacific plot; that –  
anyway – between me 
and Uluru the Earth’s core  
pounds like a jealous heart.  


I am pulled by my opposite, 
determined to meet: get flinging  
the matter over my shoulders, 
building a slow hill. 

 
I cut into the substandard 
cake of soils, rocks, roots 
all the way to dinnertime; then abandon 
my three-foot depth of ambition. 

 
Unfulfilled, the rain tricks  
its way through soil, far-reaching; 
infiltrates bedrock and the star 
at the heart of the planet; 
down until there is no more 

 
˙ssǝuɥɔᴉɹ ǝlqɐuᴉƃɐɯᴉun 'ǝƃnɥ ǝɯos ɟo
ǝɔɹnos ǝɥʇ pǝɹǝʌoɔsᴉp sɐɥ ǝɥ ƃuᴉʞuᴉɥʇ ɹoɟ
uǝʌᴉƃɹoɟ ǝq ʇɥƃᴉɯ ǝɔɐld ʇɐɥʇ oʇ
dɐɯ ou puɐ ʞɔolɟ sᴉɥ ʎq pǝl


ɹǝɯɹɐɟ ǝɥʇ os ;ǝuᴉɯ oʇ ɯɐǝs ɐ sɐ ʇɥƃᴉɹq
pǝǝʍ snᴉoɔᴉuɹǝd ɐ oʇ sǝʇɐlsuɐɹʇ
ʎɹolƃ ƃuᴉuɹoW ˙ɹǝpu∩ uʍop oʇuᴉ uǝᴉlɐ
ƃuᴉpnɹʇxǝ suoᴉlǝpuɐp 'lǝɹɹos 'ǝsɹnd s,pɹǝɥdǝɥs


:ǝɔɐld ǝlqɐʞuᴉɥʇun uɐ oʇ ɔᴉʇoxǝ
sǝʌɐǝl ɟo ƃuᴉɥsᴉɹnolɟ ɐ sǝɹnɾuoɔ
ɥsnq ǝɥʇ oʇuᴉ sʞɹɐds ʇI ˙ʇɐǝɥ
oʇuᴉ ƃuᴉllǝʍ ɐ 'ǝƃɹnsdn
ƃuᴉllᴉʍ ɐ sǝɯoɔǝq ʇᴉ puɐ uʍop


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the last park

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Resist The Urge To Put The Sea Glass Into Your Mouth