i.m. Bruce Beaver 1928-2004

Sad news. One of Australia's finest poets, Bruce Beaver, passed away in his sleep on 16 February 2004. His works are discursive and rich, meditative and welcoming, tough, honest and visionary.

- from IX, in Letters to Live Poets, 1969

"No. I've not joined the bird-watchers
though I understand their interest -
their spring smeared and blurred with a sweat of death,
distillate of the times. There is always death
but not such a waste of living as now.
And the birds themselves? They have
nothing to learn from watching us.
Do you want to acquaint the larks with the fatuous music of war?
September and I send you a dove,
a berry cluster, and these words."
- Bruce Beaver


- from XIII, in Letters to Live Poets, 1969

"I beg you to remember me as truthful."
- Bruce Beaver

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