Bio
James Gering is a diarist, poet, and short story writer. He is the Australian Society of Authors Emerging Poet of the Year, 2018 and teaches at The University of Sydney. Publication credits include Rattle, San Pedro River Review, Star 82 Review, and Meanjin. His collection of poetry, Staying Whole While Falling Apart, has been accepted for publication in 2021. James lives in the Blue Mountains, where he climbs the cliffs and rappels the canyons in search of Rilke's solitude, Chekhov's humility, and escape in general. He welcomes visitors at jamesgering.com
James Gering
Visiting the Gallery with His Son
Josh crouches on the marble, transfixed by a giant box of matches
jarred open. Some have spilled out - many fresh, others spent,
all showing tiny faces, a medley of expressions. The sign says:
'In order to shine, we first have to burn.'
Now Josh is watching a movie charting the lifespan of a tenner.
Come the shredder, come the tears. Aaron tries to console his son,
says the next film will probably feature brand new bank notes,
designed to go further, survive longer.