Short Story - Barrie Reid

  • Year: 1944
Short Story - Barrie Reid
The News, Adelaide, 22 January 1947, p4 (Trove Image)

By Barrie Reid[1]

Jack Reeves left home at the fifteenth anger
went out west with cattle.
Proud with the pride of his sixteen years
he rode where the dust is on the wattle.
All the suburb’s talk swelled fast about her
but his mother was still as a stone,
His father cursed once and was then silent
and the house huddled up all alone.
All the street pointed, whispered, gave opinion,
and his Grandfather Dan began a wild carouse
but I have never known a silence

like the silence on that house.

Barjai no 15, July 1944, p15.  

 

[1] (1926-1995) poet, editor, arts critic and librarian. Co-editor of Ern Malley’s Journal with Max Harris (1952-55), poetry editor of Overland (1965-88) and its editor (1988-93). Executive Officer of the State Library of Victoria Public Libraries Division from 1967.

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