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 relished
it’s ridiculous
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)