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Poem

Beach Burial

by •
October 2005, no. 275
Poem

Beach Burial

by •
October 2005, no. 275

for Craig Sherborne

 

‘Grief wrongs us so.’ 
                                                 Douglas Dunn

 

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Peter Rose

In 2001 Peter Rose became the Editor of Australian Book Review. Previously he was a publisher at Oxford University Press. He has published several books of poetry, an award-winning family memoir, Rose Boys, and two novels, the most recent being Roddy Parr (Fourth Estate, 2010). His latest poetry collections are Rag (Gazebo Books, 2023) and Attention, Please! (Pitt Street Poetry, February 2025). His extensive criticism appears in a variety of publication, including ABR. Rose writes and performs short absurdist plays with The Highly Strung Players.

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Comment (1)

  • This is reminiscent of Gillian Clarke’s poetry, but masculinised in the same way that her language is feminised. It especially brought to mind her poem ‘Ichthyosaur’ where she comments on the nature of death - a suspended threshold between life and its end - through a variety of sound and visual imagery.

    Almost striking is the last line ‘turn their heads west - even in death’ which I couldn’t help but draw parallels to ‘the frozen baby turning its head’ (Ichthyosaur) where both convey life’s sense of instinct meeting, in thrashing conflict, with its end.

    Not to mention, both also utilise the concept of maternity and paternity, how parents and children are forever intertwined - which death heightens that biology. Perhaps mortality is a forceful disconnect, but it seems that the spiritual, or even history, re-fuses that bond.

    It was fascinating to see these same themes drawn and written in such simultaneous ways, but differently portrayed through a feminine and masculine perspective.
    Posted by Adelheid Ye
    08 September 2023