In this episode of Australian Book Review's States of Poetry podcast, Michael Farrell reads 'New Dr Williams' which features in the 2016 Victorian anthology.

New Dr Williams

Who are you? You hear the song, the
Good line along with the others in the
Hair salon. That place for standing in; for
   Politics   _______

   The New Dr Williams with his tricks of
   Sadness

   _______

    Here is my bag: be sad. Here is
My bag left on the bannister. Yet let
Me tell you that elevation’s just a sound

________________________________

    But the old cold plum’s a sound too!

   ___________________________

    Who are you or we now? We’re the
Kind of people poetry makes. We don’t pretend
To be doctors of anything else but letters

_________________________________

   There’s a pig on the terrace and a
   Leaf

   ____

   The leaf goes into Dr Williams’s bag. The
Pig goes back into the poet’s mind, squealing
Like a painting the whole time. Everyone on
The train has that image of the
Pig in their head. It will make them
Snuffle up the walls. Everyone’s ill
With an illness that takes some dancing. Just
Bring that painting here and put it with
The others; enough and we’ll have improved the
   Dream

   ______

    Load up, leg out, hat on. Dr Williams’s
Paradoxical prescriptions: primary and secondary gallantry, femininity, clowning
Footsie, miming, mimicry, dentistry, carolling, shadowing, poetry

_____________________________________________________

    These bring all the sad sounds out, that
We need to be in the mix of

Michael Farrell

'New Dr Williams' appears in States of Poetry - VIC. You can learn more about States of Poetry and read the full anthologies here.

Read Michael Farrell's biography in 'States of Poetry - VIC'