tincture

Alison J Barton

Alison J Barton’s poetry is widely published in Australian and international literary journals. Her work has been recognised in numerous prizes and Best of Australian Poems over several years. She was the inaugural winner of the 2023 University of Cambridge First Nations Writer-in-Residence Fellowship, and was granted places in several other residencies around the world. Her first full-length collection of poetry, Not Telling, was published by Puncher & Wattmann. She is Editor-in-Chief of The Suburban Review.

we are half lovers 
a tincture with regret 

shadows approach and
I realise it is time to go 

but we stay to see
what it looks like from
the 

other side I extricate
myself because I like 

the process of stitching 
back together tidal 

journey after tidal 
journey I cover the 

desk in artefacts push 
aside again what is 

essential but revulsive
the writing of sweeping 

sympathies I don’t
need it but I like to 

long for it a concise 
clear list of hard facts 

is the last thing I am 
taking from you the 

rhyme of fear coming 
from his mouth I can’t 

wait for fantasies
to come true

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