Tide
A collection of poetry and fiction from the Faculty of Creative Arts' creative writing program
Starting Over
Jessica and I loved to play with worms when we were kids. We’d pluck the fat ones from our dad’s award-winning worm farm and allow them to infiltrate the mud pies we molded into ice-cream tubs and then baked in the sun....
East of Westerbine
Toby fumbled through the stack of envelopes in his leather pouch as Mr Jessop Cole waited, arms folded across his wide chest. Toby remained just outside the yard of the Cole property, his knees bent awkwardly as he leaned back to catch his pouch upon his belly....
The lover’s promise
love had come to rest below my window and i resolved myself to let him in — for he looked ragged and wild , well in need of the rum i offered ( a slick inch of urine in the tumbler , neat — my own with a squeeze of lemon ) also there was the matter of the dove whose heart i had recently come to acquire....
Degustation
My husband’s tiny, a baby, compared to me. He wasn’t even born when I had my first kiss. Even stranger, he’s short and thin and round-cheeked. He can’t grow a moustache. He sleeps curled around himself like a foetus: tiny and gilled. When we have sex he’s a desperate sucking mouth, greedy hands.....
Absolution
The sky is a baptismal font.
The people of Cronulla
offer up hand massages to the Lord.....
12 o'clock sky
It was only after dying that I realised I had all these blank pages left over. My face was still pale and smooth then. I had never bothered to grow any lines or to smile. I didn’t think to create those little tracks or worlds inside me—the kind you take with you when you die. .....
The ocean knows this
Your skin more yellow
where I can’t see it,
face like plasticine
your mouth
a hollow carved out for sound....
Kung fu, lies and videotape
Damian Dwyer
INT. JOHN AND ANNE’S LOUNGEROOM – DAY
ANNE is cleaning an immaculate room. A knock sounds. Anne opens the front door partway to GRAHAM.
NOTE: DIALOGUE IN ALL SCENES IS SPOKEN IN AN
UNCONVINCING ORIENTAL ACCENT
ANNE
Whatever it is, we don’t want it.
GRAHAM
No, no. I’m not selling anything. I’m Graham, John’s friend.
ANNE
Right … He’s at work.
Anne eyes Graham up and down. He wears faded oriental clothing and holds a wooden staff and duffel bag.
GRAHAM
Can I come in?
Anne opens the door further. Graham enters the perfect, white house.
INT. JOHN AND ANNE’S HOUSE – DAY
Anne and Graham sit in an awkward silence. Graham is stiff and looks around repeatedly.
GRAHAM
Can I use your bathroom?
Suddenly, Anne springs forward and, in a blur of motion, looses a flurry of punches at Graham. He is flung back over the lounge and lands on his feet.
ANNE
One of Master Li’s students would not have been attacked so easily.
GRAHAM
Anyone can be caught by surprise.
Twirling his staff, Graham propels himself off a wall and strikes at Anne. Anne raises her arms and blocks the blow. Graham continues striking. Anne continues to block his attempts with her hands and arms. Graham smacks Anne’s legs then face. As she spins from the blows, he hits her across the buttocks.
GRAHAM
Convinced yet?
INT. JOHN AND ANNE’S BEDROOM – DAY.
JOHN lies in bed with CYNTHIA. Clothes lay strewn about the room.
JOHN
We’ll have to cool it for a couple of
days.
CYNTHIA
Too much of a good thing?
JOHN
No, an old friend of mine is staying over till he finds his own place.
CYNTHIA
Can I meet him?
JOHN
Graham’s not your type.
CYNTHIA
Oh, and what is my type, huh?
JOHN
Well, he’s not married.
CYNTHIA
Oh!
Cynthia kicks John in the face.
INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT
A bruised John is half-asleep in bed while Anne sits on a chair facing him. She draws a dagger and throws it into the wall next to John’s head.
ANNE
Are you having an affair?
JOHN
No! No. Why are you even asking
me? You’re the one who doesn’t
touch me anymore.
Anne attacks John with a sword. John rolls off the bed and pulls up the sheets, twisting it into a lariat. John defends himself with the makeshift weapon and eventually disarms Anne with it. Drawn by the sounds of fighting, Graham sticks his head in the door, which stops Anne and John.
GRAHAM
Is everything alright?
Anne and John look at Graham, then John returns the sword to Anne and goes to bed. Graham exits.
INT. APARTMENT – DAY
Anne and Graham wander around an almost empty apartment.
GRAHAM
This is it. Wait here and I’ll bring some stuff in.
Graham exits to get some of his belongings. Anne comes across some videotapes. She studies them for a moment and is visibly shocked. She turns and drops one tape as Graham re-enters the apartment. They stare at each other, then the tape and then back to each other. Suddenly, Anne kicks at Graham’s head. In the ensuing fight Graham only retreats and blocks, he never attacks. Anne always stays on the attack.
ANNE
I can’t believe you … I—I thought you were different.
GRAHAM
Anne wait, you don’t understand …
Anne hits Graham hard and becomes upset, stops and leaves, slamming the door as she goes.
INT. JOHN AND ANNE’S HOUSE – NIGHT
Anne is vigorously cleaning her already immaculate room. She finds an earring under the bed and becomes furious and runs downstairs.
IN THE DININGROOM
John is eating alone at the dinner table. Anne enters and throws the earring at him.
JOHN
Anne, let’s be reasonable …
Anne throws herself at John, who falls backwards off his chair. John draws a sword as he rises. Anne nimbly evades all John’s strokes and then kicks him in the wrist, disarming him. Anne grins.
JOHN
You’ve improved.
John charges but Anne flips over him and kicks him in the back propelling him into the wall.
JOHN
(rising)
Impressive.
ANNE
You’re slipping.
John and Anne leap at each other, they meet in the centre of the room and exchange a series of quick strikes.
ANNE
By the way: Graham has something you’ve been looking for.
JOHN
And what might that be?
ANNE
Master Feng Li’s missing videotapes.
JOHN
But I was his protégé … They were meant to be passed to me on Master Li’s
death … They hold the final secrets to mastering Jeet Kune Do …
INT. GRAHAM’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Graham is meditating in the middle of the room. Old oil lamps are lighting the room. John barges in.
JOHN
What are you doing with Master Li’s tapes? They belong to me!
GRAHAM
He gave them to me.
JOHN
Liar! I checked his will before I left his mountain retreat!
GRAHAM
Master Li knew you would forsake him.
They draw swords and advance, the weapons a silver blur of motion. They fight frenetically, somersaulting and darting around the room. They begin to tire and, as they do, they forego acrobatics and lumber around the room. Finally they stand before each other, drenched in sweat, concentrating instead on swordplay. Anne rushes in.
ANNE
(to John)
What are you doing?!
John flicks his wrist and points his sword at Anne’s face, and she is forced to take two steps back.
JOHN
Stay out of this, woman.
Graham distracts John with a feint, swinging his sword wildly towards him, while Anne leaps on John’s neck and uses her momentum to flip him. During the fight an oil lamp falls over. Flames spread quickly and reach another nearby lamp, which explodes spectacularly. The intensity of the flames separates John from the others. Graham tries to overcome the flames and get to John but Anne stops him.
ANNE
You won’t make it.
Another oil lamp explodes. The pair rush out of the apartment and stand watching as the building is consumed by the blaze. At the sound of another explosion from within the burning building they both jump and strike defensive poses. When they see there is no danger, they notice each other standing ready for battle. They smile at one another and Graham reaches for Anne’s hand.
FADE OUT.
END