Rupert Atkinson

Melbourne Sonnets. 1. In Collins Street

THIS city's greatness glares — a wild obsession,
New, crude, harsh, unremembering, un-romantlc;
Some latent thing gropes here, unseen, gigantic,
With Internecine commerce by confession
Main motive, puffed with lies, bluff, and aggression.
Sapped by unnumbered agents, oddly frantic.
Superfluous shopmen, clerks, and snobs most antic,
Diverse, estranged, bowed by their own oppression.

How Money glories! Truth Is Incidental,
And honour needless; all beside is menial.

Hear how they jabber tales of scrip and rental —
Sleek, surreptitious, blankly glum and genial.
Extolling all success. To cheat is venial,
Intrigue and riot merely sentimental.