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WATCH Miriam Hechtman recite her poem, Jux/ta/po/si/tion

Miriam Hechtman
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Published: 2 November 2020

Last updated: 11 June 2024

The absent armour of boundary, the brittle beauty of understanding

Juxtaposition

The absent armour of boundary
The brittle beauty of understanding
The casual coolness of your desire
The delicate danger of my longing
The empty envelope sealed
The fallen fire paused
The glorious grittiness before the grace
The heavy honour weighting your heart
The ignorant idealism of my dreams
The jarring joy of surrender
The kept kiss of seduction
The laboured love of your youth
The morning memories on my pillow
The normalized neglect of the underdog
The obvious omission of care
The perfect pity you beckon
The quiet quantum leap of rescue
The refined rage in your fingertips
The stunning silence of the mountain
The transient truth simmering
The underlying urgency in her whisper
The violent victory of revolution
The wayward waltz of our words
The xenorated xenophobia of privilege
The yellowed yes coming up for air
The zero zone reached
 
Acknowledgement:
The line: "The brittle beauty of understanding” is from Mary Oliver’s poem The Sea
 

About the author

Miriam Hechtman

Sydney-based Miriam Hechtman is an Australian writer, creative producer and poet. She is the founder and creative director of Poetica, a live poetry and music initiative and co-presenter and producer of WORDSMITH – the poetry podcast.

The Jewish Independent acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and strive to honour their rich history of storytelling in our work and mission.

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