Nigel is the author of nearly 50 short stories published in Australian literary journals, including the Review of Australian Fiction, Meanjin, Island, and Overland. His collected stories are Joy and Homelife (Ginninderra Press, 2000 and 1999 respectively).
His poetry has appeared in various journals, including Rabbit, Four W, Famous Reporter, Tirra Lirra, UQ Vanguard, and Hermes.
astronomical
(for Tim)
In the middle of the night
(is it really?) my hand has a way of finding your chest
again
In the middle of the night
(it is, isn’t it?) your fingers slide into mine
again
In the middle of the night
(it’s me, it’s me) we hold each other
hard
another blood
high
another silent
shout
it’s ridiculous
it’s relished
another mess
(just like us)
our treasure
the colour
of stars
a milky way
In the middle of the night
(there’s no denying) we are
infinite
~
(first published in Rabbit 32, the form issue 2021)