Poetry

Moments

Bruce Dawe

Contents - May 2009 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The Virgin Mary's key role in our redemption - Michael Gilchrist Dissent: Rebel South Brisbane priest: new cafeteria church launched - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Inter-faith dialogue: Jewish leader defends Pope over Bishop Williamson controversy - AD2000 Report Pro-family culture: AIDS in Africa: science vindicates Catholic Church - Babette Francis US Catholics leaving the Church in droves: what can be done? - Fr Joseph A. Sirba FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH: The Crusades: the truth behind the myths - Frank Mobbs Conversion: A Catholic convert's story (Part 2): Are there any regrets? - Michael Daniel Staying together: Stable families: the best defence against violence Death of a Child: The Pot of Basil - Will Elsin Poetry: Moments - Bruce Dawe Letters: The Pope and AIDS - Arnold Jago Letters: Fundamentals - J. Loring Letters: Teilhard - Jeremias Wijeyeratne Letters: Simple faith - Alan Barron Letters: Doctrinal differences - John Morrissey Letters: One Shepherd - Peter D. Howard Letters: Women in the Church - Brian Bibby Letters: From India - Fr A. Joseph PP Books: Golden Years: Grounds for Hope: Fr Golden and the Newman Society 1950-1966 - David Kehoe (reviewer) Books: Hilaire Belloc and G.K. Chesterton, by Karl Schmude - Br Christian Moe (reviewer) Books: AD2000 Books for May Reflection: 'What is truth?' (John 18:38) - The tunnel vision of Pontius Pilate - Andrew Kania

'On the other hand, most are very uneasy about the idea that a fetus, five minutes before birth, has no rights at all and one minute after birth has full human rights.'
- Greg Sheridan, The Australian

Until that moment comes, the victim lives
with all the possibilities life gives,
and in such moments (which themselves may be
the last step in a process inexorably
urged on by personal discord, blank despair,
ideological fiat, or simply where
bored indifference rules) from such as these
(so rarely seen as fatal blasphemies)
a life's unlived, those instants make the crime,
Beethovens die, their music lost to time;
even ultra-sound, that new magician's glass,
spell 'exit' rather than 'entrance' what's to pass...
Such fatal moments whisper to the soul
and sunder many who would else be whole.
-Bruce Dawe-

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 22 No 4 (May 2009), p. 14