The Desert of my Heart and Mind
Sonnets by F.J.A. (John) Pockley 1912-1990

1. Wide deserts of my land reflect my brain
2. The life-lorn dingo's sadly haunting calls
3. This spot is sand and stunted mulga scrub
4. The pure achievement of the aging mind
5. In almost every place I make my camp
6. One perfect, windless, starlit, moonless night
7. Bright stars outined celestial city streets
8. My camel sways along in sullen grief
9. One afternoon near Lightning Ridge in May
10. A desert tends to clarify all thought
11. I am a man of wisdom and no god
12. When Eliot told about the gifts of age
13. The Olgas are Australia's heart and mind
14. The constellations arch across the sky
15. Most men who live in cities see few stars
16. November! And our gift returns again
17. No scale of size, or time, or distance holds
18. Indeed; I failed at everything I did
19. Sydney's Nor-Easter likes to sleep in late

Sonnets by S.C.N. (Simon) Pockley

1. Lamplit I work in the shoals of the night
2. Like a host who is waiting for his uninvited guest
3. This afternoon I'm taking my son for a Yarra walk
4. We've emptied trucks and trailers, unloaded groaning vans
5. Move in closer please, this device is locally made
6. We are loaded through a shute into this commuter flight
7. Wished away in a taxi reeking
8. This morning the council dumped big bins
9. I'm sure there must be something wrong with me
10. Counting the days of my years, I regret
11. I wake to soft sounds of rain on my roof
12. "You can fuck off," she replies in defence
13. There's a thumbs-up from across the floor
14. My home this christmas