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Gwen Harwood

Gwen Harwood

Gwen Harwood, née Gwendoline Nessie Foster, was an Australian poet and librettist. Gwen Harwood is regarded as one of Australia's finest poets, publishing over 420 works, including 386 poems, and 13 librettos.

'Carnal Knowledge I', a poem by Gwen Harwood

June–July 2020, no. 422 26 May 2020
Roll back, you fabulous animalbe human, sleep. I’ll call you upfrom water’s dazzle, wheat-blond hills,clear light and open-hearted roses,this day’s extravagance of bluestored like a pulsebeat in the skull. Content to be your love, your fool,your creature tender and obsceneI’ll bite sleep’s innocence awayand wake the flesh my fingers cupto build a world from what’s to hand,new energies ... (read more)