The Poet. Alex Skovron

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      Also by Alex Skovron

       The Rearrangement

       Sleeve Notes

       Infinite City

       The Man and the Map

       Autographs

      Published by Hybrid Publishers

      Melbourne Victoria Australia

      © Alex Skovron

      This publication is copyright. Apart from any use

      as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part

      may be reproduced by any process without prior

      written permission from the publisher. Requests

      and inquiries concerning reproduction should be

      addressed to the Publisher, Hybrid Publishers,

      PO Box 52, Ormond 3204.

      First published 2005

      This ebook edition published 2013

      National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-

      Publication data:

      Skovron, Alex, 1948– .

      The poet.

      ISBN: 9781742982458 (ebk)

      I. Title.

      A823.3

      Cover design by Sarn Potter

      Cover painting by Alex Skovron

      I am grateful to a number of people who read earlier versions of this novella and offered helpful responses. Particular thanks are due to Clare Forster, Nick Walker, the late Geoffrey Dutton, Janine Drakeford, Erica Wagner, and Philip Salom.

      My special appreciation to Louis de Vries, publisher at Hybrid, for his enthusiasm, good humour and unstinting support.

      Elected silence, sing to me

      And beat upon my whorlèd ear,

      Pipe me to pastures still and be

      The music that I care to hear.

      GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS,

      ‘The Habit of Perfection’