The Monkey's Mask Dorothy Porter 1994

Dustjacket synopsis:
"You are about to do something you have never done before. You are about to read a poem 264 pages long.

"As you read the first few pages, you will discover this is unlike any poem you have ever read. Before you know it, you will have read the first fifty pages or more, and you will find yourself unable to stop.

"You will encounter things that you never expected to find in a poem - a missing person enquiry, a tough streetwise P.I. named Jill Fitzpatrick, cars that go out of control on mountain roads, murder, deception and an unforgettable femme fatale. You will find yourself reading the crime thriller of the year.

"From the pen of one of Australia's most innovative writers comes a totally unique experience. It's poetry. It's a crime thriller. It's where high art meets low life, passion meets betrayal, and poetry faces profanity on the streets of a harsh modern city.

"Welcome to The Monkey's Mask..."

First Paragraph:

Trouble

'Jill'
I challenge the mirror
'how much guts have you got?'

I like my courage
   physical
I like my courage
   with a dash of danger.

In between insurance jobs
I've bene watching
  rock climbers
      like game little spiders
         on my local cliff

I've got no head for heights
   but plenty of stomach
   for trouble

trouble
   deep other-folks trouble
      to spark my engine
         and pay my mortgage

and private trouble
   of, pretty trouble

to tidal-wave my bed

I'm waiting

I want you, trouble,
   on the rocks.

From the Hyland House paperback edition, 1994.

This page and its contents are copyright © 2005 by Perry Middlemiss, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Last modified: February 1, 2005.