Almanac Poetry: Erasmus Fell
Portrait of Erasmus (1467-1536) Writing, by School of Hans Holbein the Younger, oil on panel, 1528. Louvre, Paris. [Wikimedia Commons.]
Erasmus Fell
Erasmus fell
off the wall,
near the bed,
almost hitting me on the head.
He looked serene and reflective
while writing a note
in a pad
on a desk
but for some unknown reason
decided to choose
that instant to move.
I could have been injured severely
when he selected his moment,
for the frame around him was heavy
and the glass over him was thick
but lucky for me he’d resolved to drop
not on my head
but upon Percy Shelley,
who was lying on the carpeted floor
beneath the covers
of one slim volume.
(Acknowledgements: first published in my third poetry collection, Orpheus in the Undershirt, Ginninderra Press, 2018.)
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His sixth book-length poetry collection, Isle Full of Noises, was published in early 2026 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
Interesting setup in this one, KD. I wonder if you chose Erasmus before or after he chose you?
Thanks for the comment, JL. A girlfriend of many years ago had a large bedroom with walls packed with a large number of framed artworks. I recall feeling at the time that one of them on the wall behind the bedhead was bound to fall on – or near – me sooner or later! And “Erasmus” did, just as I described in the poem – it was a heavy-framed reproduction of the exact picture I’ve used in this post.