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Andrew Slattery is a Communications graduate from Newcastle University, Australia. His first collection, Love and Other Ways to Pass the Time, was published by Arrangement Media in 2003. His work has appeared in Opus, Centoria and Quadrant. In 2004 Les Murray included the poem 'Decision' in the Best Australian Poems 2004 (Black Inc.). In December 2004 Andrew was awarded the Harri Jones Memorial Prize for Poetry, previously awarded to Anthony Lawrence, Andy Kissane and B.R. Dionysius.

The pig is asleep in the pool
floating, asleep, big popcork

the grey lady and her fifth husband
ready to swim, they stop at the edge
stare as the pig dozes and boppers

the white boy in a yellow shirt
grips his yapperdog at the collar
as it yowls forward in a sputter

the pig twitches a fuzzpink ear
half lifts the bristle of an eye
then drifts back into sleep

now content to just cool their feet
the old couple sit on the edge
their hoary toes quake the pigwater.