Charles D’Anastasi

Born in Malta, emigrated to Australia at fifteen, Charles D’Anastasi has had poems published in various publications, anthologies, and on line poetry journals including malleable jangle, wandering dog(UK), Going Down Swinging, and Divan. In 2006 The Melbourne Poets Union published his chapbook The unreliable harbour (Union Poets Series).

 

 

the man in pierre bonnard’s ‘the open window’ 
 

he comes home after the monochrome of another day to believe in bonnard’s ‘the open window’    the room vermillion splashed    rouged    heads straight for the open window    stretches a hand in the cool air    reaches for the stillness of the trees    he comes home to a system of beauty    considers himself gripped by the bay in the sky    he comes home to the open window    some kind of moment    quiverings scheming in his head    he comes home    convinced this is not only bonnard’s room    rubs his face in the burning walls    he comes home    all things midnight    a much descended staircase    he comes home to the windowsill    works the slowness of the hour    almost invisible    half-man half-bird     knows it’s there    doesn’t know how it stirs    just feels it     like the fire in his throat    he comes home to the open arms of the window    the smell of pine    inhales the moment     flies past the comfort of the window’s ledge