I Home I About I Contact I Guidelines I Directory I World I Peace I Charity I Education I Quotes I Solutions I Photo Gallery I Archives I Links I

Thylazine: The Australian Journal of Arts, Ethics & Literature                                                                                                                                  #2/thyla2k-mc AUSTRALIAN POETS SERIES 2 The Poetry of Michael Crane Selected by Coral Hull [Above] Photo of Michael Crane by Coral Hull, 1996. I Poem#1 Absurd Poem I The Plastic Angels I Poem#3 This Demon I A Dog Called Yesterday I Poem#1 Absurd Poem He found God, in the ashtray Sitting coyly on a cigarette butt With pamphlets for every religion, Road maps for the pathway to hell. And he thought to himself " God was very tiny and dirty And not serious, without dignity. Is this the saviour to his torture? A flippant shaved head salesman? Then God gave him a wink And disappeared into the smoke. The pamphlets burnt to ashes And the man looked for God In the next stranger that he met Meanwhile God turned into a fire hydrant and was blessed by many grateful dogs. Published in Book of Screams 1 (Paradise Press, 1999). The Plastic Angels Can they make roses from mud? Can they weave invisible webs? Or burn bright like a heartache. Can they cry like a saxophone? If they can't dance at failure Or smile like a waterfall, Can they be silent like a sparrow, Or die like a rainbow? If they can't sing like a mist Then perhaps they are plastic angels Whose eyes burn like the heavens And whose souls are made of clay. Published in Book of Screams 3 (Paradise Press, 1999). Poem #3 This Demon This demon disguised as a nun blessed many with her black halo. This angel wearing rags and beads killed many lovers who strayed away. This lamb with fire in her belly ate the hypocrites and chewed their bones. This rock splattered with children's blood crumbled into pebbles, dissolved into sand. This night pockmarked with dead stars swallowed the memories of the defeated. This tin can kicked in the gutter by beggars was rusted by the teardrops of killers. This businessman with caviar for eyes injected greed and overdosed on lust. This woman who smiled like a sparrow tiptoed through truth, pirouetted on lies. This dumb animal bottle-fed on rage confronted the traitor, made love to beauty. This telephone call mute with temptation rang in the ears of the smitten zealot. This memory sweet with great promise died in the arms of a blistered passion This dyke called sisterhood and revenge destroyed the honour of the faithful lover. This system called victory amoung thieves. This earth trodden by fabricated history. This world where nothing is won or lost. This son of a power-hungry mother kissed by a demon disguised as love. Published in Book of Screams 2 (Paradise Press, 1999). A Dog Called Yesterday. The man with three heads, brains, arms, ears, and eyes is walking his three dogs past the three factories, beside the three raging rivers. He has three choices. Stop. Set the dogs free. Or keep them chained to the leash forever. The dogs are called Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Today is resting on the grass and sleeps. Tomorrow is chasing invisible birds, but Yesterday is looking up at the man with three heads, staring with those sad eyes of the past. And then Yesterday digs a deep hole in the ground and rips the three-headed man's one heart from his chest and buries it ... Yesterday is a strange beast. One minute it is barking at the shadows. The next minute it is holding out its paws like a beggar. Published Book of Screams 1 (Paradise Press, 1999). About the Poet Michael Crane Michael Crane was born in Brisbane in 1961. From 1989 to 1991 Michael read many times in open sections of various readings in Melbourne. Michael organised the first Poetry Slam in Australia in 1991 and since then has organised more than 150 Slams. He is organising a Poetry Slam at the 2000 Melbourne Writers Festival. Michael self-published three chapbooks from 1991 to 1994: The Book of Screams, An Almost Summer and Joan of Arc was a fire-eater. Michael's work has now appeared in most literary journals and newspapers. In 1998 ten of Michael's poems appeared in the collection Loose Kangaroos which featured three other writers including Sandy Jeffs. In 1998 Michael's first collection of poetry The Lightmaster was published by Phoebe Press. In 1999, Michael received a small grant from the Myer Foundation which enabled him to self-publish three booklets: The Book of Screams (reprised ) 1,2& 3. He also released a CD of spoken word and musical accompaniment called Not Mad Just Raving. Michael has been interviewed on Radio National several times and appeared on the PoeticA Program on two occasions. In 1998 Michael was a featured poet on The A.B.C. TV Program Voices.    [Above] Photo of Michael Crane by Coral Hull, 1996. I Next I Back I Exit I Thylazine No.2 (September, 2000)